1. Francessca

1

FRANCESSCA

I pop the hatch and heave my luggage into the back of the SUV. I wrap the hand knitted scarf my sister made tightly around my neck then fumble to unlock the vehicle with my heavy mittens.

I can see my breath and swear I've entered the artic tundra.

Once I'm on the road, I connect my phone to hands-free and dial my sister.

"Hey there. Did you make it?" Her sweet voice comes through the speaker and makes me miss Florida already.

I chuckle. "Yeah, and before you ask, yes, it's cold." I turn onto the main highway. "Thanks for the scarf, by the way."

Lucia sighs. "I miss you already."

My throat grows thick, and I swallow hard.

How am I going to do this without my sister by my side?

"I miss you too." I use my mitten to wipe away the tears.

Lucia is my older sister. We grew up with our close-knit large Sicilian family. Lucia and I are not only sisters, but we're also best friends. Growing up we shared a bedroom, we helped each other with homework, and whispered our secrets as we lay in our twin beds dreaming of our future.

"Are you okay, Fran?" Lucia sighs. "Try to relax. At least the online news and tabloids are quiet now. And although Matteo's threatened to break limbs, he won't do anything."

I swallow hard. "Matty has to stay away."

"He's just mad. We're all mad."

My two older brothers, Antonio and Matteo, are fiercely protective over the younger siblings. There are four of us for them to protect— my older sister Lucia and my younger brother Angelo and the baby of our family, Carmela.

I take a deep breath and hold my head high. "I'll let you know when I get to the apartment, and I'll send pictures."

"That sounds great. You should be getting my care package in the next few days, so look for that."

"What's in the package?"

Lucia laughs. "I've already told you, it's a surprise."

"Oh, you're no fun," I tease.

Lucia giggles. "Don't forget to send me a Frostwolves T-shirt."

"I'm going to send you an insulated Frostwolves coat, and a thermal sweatshirt and I expect you to wear them."

"Save them for me and I'll come visit you." Lucia lets out a breath. "Send me a shirt, okay?"

"I will," I promise.

"And Fran?"

"Yeah?"

"None of what happened was your fault. You know that, right? You need to get back out there— make some new friends and find a new boyfriend." She sighs. "I know what you're thinking— that it's too early to replace him, but he did you dirty and you deserve so much more. It's been three months, Frannie."

I squint my eyes to hold back more tears. "Thank you. Love you."

"You deserve everything. Love you, girl."

The screen goes dark.

Situated near the Rocky Mountains, my new world is richer than any picture can portray. I take a gulp of the brisk air as my eyes wander across the breathtaking panoramic scene before me. The snow-covered mountains with their majestic grandeur. I've never seen anything like it.

I tote my suitcases to my apartment and open the door with the key card provided at the concierge's desk. The large living room is bright and open with a large taupe rug that covers hardwood floors. Sliding glass doors bring in light and a view of the mountains.

Wow. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

A breakfast bar separates the living room from the kitchen. I'm no gourmet chef, but I know my way around the kitchen which does not disappoint— stainless steel appliances plus a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and even a blender.

I make my way through the rest of my apartment. One bedroom with an ensuite bathroom plus a guest bath with a stackable washer and dryer. There's even a small study with a desk.

I'm up before the alarm and I slip on black dress pants, loose in the waist. I've hardly been able to eat for the past few weeks, so I'm sure I've taken off a few pounds. I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror.

Even the make-up doesn't hide the dark circles under my eyes.

As my father stated, I fell and it's time to get back on my feet.

Easy for him to say. He didn't get his heart pulled from his chest and then thrown on the street for everyone to see.

In just a few days, I lost everything.

My job.

My confidence.

And more importantly, I lost trust in the ones I loved most. That's the part that crushes me.

Am I even desirable anymore? Maybe I couldn't get a man to come near me— even if I tried.

I push away the negative thoughts.

The arena, which is home to the Colorado Frostwolves is only a few blocks from the apartment. I bundle up in my winter gear and head in that direction. I could've driven but I may as well get used to the cold weather here. It's certainly not Florida.

I arrive in plenty of time for the orientation and find a place to sit. Two others are already here and both busy with their phones.

It doesn't take long for the other six new employees of the Frostwolves hockey team to arrive. Our group of nine is sitting at a u-shaped table with Gretchen, head of HR, standing in front. Her red hair pulled into a tight bun. She's dressed for success in a dark business suit and black pumps.

The chair next to me scrapes across the floor and a blonde takes a seat. She digs through her large purse until she locates a small bottle of lotion and rubs it onto her hands as she looks around the room.

"Hi, I'm Megan Petersen." Her smile is warm and friendly. She looks to be about my age.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Francessca Messina." I hold my breath and study her face. Hopefully, she doesn't recognize my face which dominated the tabloids just a few months ago.

"Where will you be working?" She adjusts her ponytail. "I'm in marketing."

"I'm a physician's assistant."

Her eyebrows raise. "Nice." She pulls a pen out of her large purse. "Are you from here?"

My heart beats like a drum in my chest.

Please don't put the pieces together.

"No, I'm from Florida. What about you?"

She puts her hand to her chest. "Oh no. You must be hating this weather."

I chuckle. "Definitely not Florida."

"I'm from Omaha, Nebraska so this weather pretty much matches my weather back home. I moved here so I can ski."

We're interrupted by Gretchen. "Okay everyone. Welcome to the new employee orientation and to the Frostwolves family. We're happy you're here. Let's get started."

At noon, we're dismissed for an hour and Megan and I walk three blocks to a cozy diner.

I order a salad and Megan gets a cheeseburger and fries.

"Can you pass the ketchup," she asks as she pops a French fry in her mouth. "So, what brings a Florida girl to the mountains of Colorado?"

To get away from the mess that became my life in Florida?

"A great opportunity. I couldn't pass it up." I take a sip of diet cola.

We chat over our lunch and get acquainted. Megan is newly divorced, so besides skiing, she doesn't want to live near her ex-husband in Nebraska.

"I have a great idea." Megan practically bounces in her seat. "Let's go out tonight. It's Friday and we don't start our official duties until Monday."

"Go out?"

"Yeah, for some drinks." She waggles her eyebrows. "And some fun."

I hear my sister's voice in my head. Maybe it's time to put the past behind me and get on with my life.

I smile. "You know what? That does sound fun."

"I'm sure we can find something fun within walking distance of the apartment."

I take a bite of salad. "Count me in."

After a long afternoon in our orientation, I'm hungry and thankful to have something fun planned.

I slip out of my white blouse and the boring black pants for something that looks less professional and more festive.

Some of my clothes are still in my luggage, some are sorted on my bed while others are stacked in tidy piles on the living room couch. I'll spend this weekend getting settled in.

I slip my favorite little black dress over my head. With a hemline halfway between my knee and thigh, the dress has always given me confidence. I fluff my long, dark hair and add some smokey eye shadow and a bit of lipstick to complete my evening look.

I button the top button of my new coat as Megan, and I make our way down the street just outside the apartment.

I tug on her coat sleeve. "Hurry up. I'm freezing. Let's just find something nearby."

The bright sign leads us to The Penalty Box. It's like a beacon in the night as we make our way down Grant Avenue.

When we step inside, the aroma of delicious food hits me.

I'm so hungry. I haven't had dinner yet.

There's a large bar at the far end surrounded by bar stools, a dance floor with several couples that move to a mellow song. In the middle of the room, a large table holds a group of guys, who by the looks of things, are having a great time. Pitchers of beer, talking, laughing.

The walls are covered in sports memorabilia— mostly hockey equipment. Hockey sticks, pucks, jerseys, photos and Frostwolves posters.

The bar is somewhat crowded, but we manage to snag a table adjacent to the fun guy group. A hostess wipes our table, hands us menus, and gives us a quick run-down of the nightly food and drink specials.

She's interrupted halfway through her drink spiel. "Darlene, we could use a few more pitchers over here." A tall blond dude is on his feet at the fun guy table.

Darlene rolls her eyes. "Be right with you, Aidan," she calls over her shoulder. "Sorry about that."

She scurries away to the bar and grabs a few more pitchers of beer and delivers the ale to the fun guy table.

Megan grins as she admires the six gods at the fun guy table. "Wow."

I follow her gaze and nod. "Yeah." I take a long drink of my ice water. "Wow."

Just as I set my glass on the table, my eyes meet with one of the Adonis gods.

Dark brown eyes melt me into a puddle, a chiseled jaw with a few days of scruff along with light brown hair that pokes out from beneath his cap. He's huge and the thermal shirt he's wearing looks like the seams can barely hold his muscular shoulders and arms.

This guy is into serious weightlifting.

He sizes me up with those dark eyes, licks his lips and winks.

Good thing I have two ovaries, because one just exploded.

I run a hand through my long curls.

"Oh my," Megan teases. "Looks like you've got an admirer over there."

I can't remember the last time a man looked at me this way.