From Misia. I liked this and I thought I'd pass it along here...

A SMILE is a sign of joy.
A HUG is a sign of love.
A LAUGH is a sign of happiness. And a friend like me??
Damn, that's just a sign of GOOD TASTE!!

Brooke sat in the dining room with a plate full of scrambled eggs and an English muffin, and she poked her fork at her eggs absently. She was at a loss. She wasn’t sure what to say to Daniel.

Rick walked in with a good morning, and she blurted, “I don’t want to investigate with Daniel tonight.”

His smiled fell away. “I thought you guys worked well last night. That’s what he told me.”

She placed her fork on her napkin. “We did, but...” her mind raced for an excuse. Then it dawned on her. “But I thought it would be good to maybe pair the women together, and you guys together.”

Rick picked up a plate at the breakfast sidebar where the buffet of eggs and assorted fruits and breads were laid out for the team to help themselves. “That sounds all right with me.” His tone wasn’t convincing.

“Maybe we’ll have better luck contacting a female spirit if Jo and I were the ones in the room.” Brooke knew she was grasping at straws, but her reasoning was solid. It was entirely possible that gender affected the spirit’s willingness to communicate.

Just then Daniel walked into the room. Brooke dropped her eyes to her plate, unwilling to trust herself to look at him. He had too much power over her by just standing in the room. Her body immediately responded, instinctively remembering earlier that morning. His touch, his voice, his body pressing down into hers.

Rick turned and said, “Brooke wants to go with Jo tonight.”

Daniel straightened. “What?”

She didn’t have to look up to know he looked at her, his gaze burned her skin.

Rick paused, his eyes sliding from Daniel to Brooke. “Yeah, she suggested the women investigate together to maybe bring out any female spirits, like the Lady Henrietta, that would be reluctant to come out with men.”

Brooke took a chance and raised her eyes. He stood staring at her, his mouth a tight line. Then he turned away and said, “I have to take a quick trip into Americus. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Then he strode out the room and she released the breath she unknowingly held.

“Okay then. You’re with Jo tonight,” he said as he placed his plate on the table and took a seat.

Unable to remain, she got up leaving her untouched breakfast, and went after him.

“Daniel,” she called after him as he walked to his truck.

He stopped and turned to her.

“I’m sorry about how I left this morning.”

“Me too.”

Her voice died in her throat. What could she say to make any difference to this tension between them?

“I have to get going. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Dismissed. Again.

“Okay, sorry.” She took a step back feeling like her heart fell onto the ground at his feet.

He got into his truck, and with a roar, he drove off.

Okay, she really had to decide what she wanted.

“What do you want?” Jo’s question echoed in her mind.

Even after this morning, she wasn’t exactly sure. Her mind warned her against the pain, but her heart screamed to not be ignored.

And that scared her half to death.

"A delightful and whimsical fantasy romance." --Harriet Klausner


David Bradley was a successful internet businessman. Once his business ventures soared, his own marriage became victim to his job. He considered divorcing Mary, but the thought of her with another man was unthinkable.

Mary longed for David, but he always seemed so busy with his work. She had only one Christmas wish: David to realize he still loved her, and that she wanted him to possess her completely, heart, body and soul.

While working on Christmas Eve, David came face-to-face with St. Nick. With a little Christmas magic, David got a glimpse of just how much Mary influenced his entire life.

As David searched for purpose, Mary learned the ways of a seductress with the help of a very naughty Mrs. Claus and her bagful of toys.