A Crystal Lake novella...

For ex-con, Cash Bodine, surprising his sister at Christmas just got complicated. His plan to blow into Crystal Lake and then leave is squashed when a winter storm settles in, stranding him at a motel outside of town. He has no choice but to hunker down and make the best of it, and while the woman next door intrigues him, he has no desire to get tangled up in her life. He's not sticking around past the holidays, so why bother?

Chess Somers stopped believing in Christmas when she was eight and her father left. With an empty bank account, an alcoholic mother in her care, and more bills than she can deal with, she's not looking for a Christmas miracle—she's looking to survive. She's seen the darker side of life and believes there's no hope. So why does the stranger with the dark eyes make her think she's wrong?