A little Jane for the Holidays: Holiday Man

The holidays are fast approaching and it seems like an ideal time to indulge in our favorite thing at Austen Variations, share our variations on Jane Austen’s works.

I hope you all had some tea & a treat in celebration of Jane Austen’s birthday yesterday!!

In my contemporary romance, HOLIDAY MAN, Shannon Quinn is the small-town girl who runs “Holiday Quinn” — a holiday-themed inn and resort based in scenic Door County, Wisconsin.

One winter evening, wealthy Minneapolis businessman, Bram Hartwick, blows into town along with the fast-falling snow. The sparks Bram and Shannon create succeed in heating up the chilly Midwestern night, not to mention plenty of holiday weekends in the year that follows… But is their relationship for special occasions only? Or might it be the elusive everyday love that neither of them thought could be found?

Hope you’ll enjoy this little peek into Bram & Shannon’s love story!

***
Bram pulled into the Holiday Quinn parking lot at 6:47 p.m. Christmas Eve, turned off the car engine and opened the driver’s side door, taking several fortifying breaths of the wintry air.

The scent of snow mingling with pine grounded him in the moment. And the flashing holiday lights, which surrounded the inn with color and brightened up the dark December sky, reminded him that it was, in fact, supposed to be a time of celebration.

He’d been on the road much of the day, driving with a feeling of nervous anticipation usually reserved only for big corporate takeovers or long sit-down conversations with his father. Since it had been several years since he’d experienced either, the tense edginess that had been lurking inside of him all day could only mean one thing: Shannon.

He wasn’t a man prone to doubting himself or second guessing his decisions, but he’d been mentally running scenarios for hours about how it would go seeing her again after nearly two months apart. Would they fall right back into the patterns they’d begun when they first met…or had that only been an illusion? How well did they know each other really? And was he a fool to care so much about what she thought of him? Or to imagine that they had a shot at a life together?

Bram didn’t know the answers to any of these questions, but he was determined to find out once and for all.

He stepped out of the car, grabbed his bag and, with determined strides, marched toward the front entrance.

It was like the movie set of Holiday Inn come to life. When he walked inside, it seemed as though they’d imported the soundstage for the film and transplanted it to eastern Wisconsin.

Guests milled around the lobby like cast members, dressed in cozy winter garments and sipping cups of cocoa with candy canes as stirring sticks.

Snowflake clings adorned every window and the soft sounds of “White Christmas,” complete with jingling bells, played in the background along with the hum and chatter of the happy couples.

There was a hint of peppermint in the air (from the candy canes, no doubt) melding with the scent of pine from the large Christmas tree in the corner. A beautifully decorated blue spruce, lavishly trimmed with tiny white lights and silver and gold ornaments.

Bram saw an angel in white atop the tree, complete with gossamer wings, a fur-lined cloak and glinting silver sequins…but he knew the real angel was dressed in a red sweater and standing behind the front counter, checking in the guests.

“Ah. Hartwick, you’ve returned,” Jake the Prick said coldly.

The chill from behind him made Bram shiver as he turned to stare down the guy. He gave his best attempt at a Machiavellian scowl. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Yes, I have.”

There was something different about Shannon’s pain-in-the-neck assistant this time, though, Bram realized as Jake stared back. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but he felt a definite undercurrent of change behind Jake’s expression. Almost as though the assistant knew something that he felt gave him an advantage. Jake looked bolder as a result.

The mask is fully off. The jester has gone into fighting mode.

Bram intensified his glare at the other man and watched as Jake’s green eyes twinkled with a brighter light of cunning than he had ever seen.

One side of The Prick’s mouth quirked upward. Then, as if laughing at an inside joke that Bram wasn’t in on, the assistant said, “Hope you’ll enjoy your final stay.” There was a significant pause. “Of the year.”

Before Bram could respond, he heard his name. He looked up and saw Shannon waving to him from behind the counter. When he glanced back at Jake, he found that the other man had disappeared. Odd.

He walked up to Shannon. It’d been too long since he’d last seen her in person. Not that he’d forgotten anything, just that she was more vibrant, more alluring than even he had remembered. He had to tell his heart to slow down, force himself to take deeper breaths before he could speak.

“It’s good to see you, Shannon,” he managed. “Very good.”

She didn’t reply at all at first. She just smiled at him. That was enough.

Then, finally, she said, “It’s good to see you, too.” She fiddled with the computer for a moment before handing him his keycard. “The Astaire Suite is waiting for you.”

He took the plastic card from her, caressing her hand in the process. He could see her pause. Hold her breath. Swallow a time or two. A line was beginning to form behind them. He knew he had her attention for only a moment more.

“When will you be free?” he asked in a low voice.

“Ten-thirty,” she murmured. “The evening events should be over no later than that.”

Bram picked up his few items and leaned across the counter until his head was only a few inches from hers. “Until then, Shannon.”

***

I hoped you liked getting a taste of HOLIDAY MAN! FYI, the book is on sale for only $2.99 at Amazon and B&N this month! 🙂  I also have a holiday sale in progress for my modern Austen-inspired boxed set, THE PERFECT PAIR. It’s just $4.99 and it includes *both* Pride, Prejudice & the Perfect Match *and* Pride, Prejudice & the Perfect Bet. So, if you’re looking for a great reader gift (x 2!!) for Austen lovers or romantic comedy fans that’s under $5…check ’em out!