Keeper of the Heart an Anthology

By B C

A mysterious invitation. A secret flight. And a beautiful, magical tropical paradise. A place where wishes come true, but not in a way that one might expect...

Freyja’s Eye. Not found on any map, impossible to locate, the island is the realm of the Goddess Freyja. It is a destination for the lovelost—those who have given up hope of ever finding their one, true love...the other half of their soul. It is a place where the deepest desires of every heart are fulfilled...when they are finally acknowledged. The path to love isn’t easy, but boy, romance sure is a delightful fantasy on this island.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B C
• Release date: Jan 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310527326

B C

We are denizens of the Bat Cave, a group of writers originally hosted on eHarlequin. We've known each other for, well, years. One day, a couple of us had the brilliant idea to put out an anthology, and here we are: Kris Starr, Laura Hamby, Kathi Robb Harris, and Nell Dixon. There *are* more of us - fair warning! We hope you enjoy our anthologies. What a privilege it is for all of us to be able to write together, and maintain world-wide friendships.

Book preview

Keeper of the Heart

An Anthology

With Novellas

Written by

Meg Allison, Laura Hamby, and Kris Starr

One Little Slip by Meg Allison

Her Hero Wears a Fedora by Laura Hamby

All She Wanted* by Kris Starr

*Reader Advisory: Adult content

Cover design by Paula Reynolds

www.scribblesense.com

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the distributor and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the authors’ work.

Once upon a time, there was a Cave filled with Bats at eHarlequin.com, the electronic home of publisher Harlequin Books. These Bats shared the ups, downs, joys and miseries of writing, and, as years passed, they shared the ups, downs, joys and miseries of life. We’ve celebrated births, mourned the loss of loved ones, watched each other’s children grow up, raised children with challenges, witnessed divorces, marriages and remarriages, celebrated publication, sympathized with rejection...well, you get the idea. We’ve had retreats, visited in real life, formed friendships that would defy destruction by nuclear weapons. Ours is a friendship without borders--we are in the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, and Australia--or, as we like to say, Bat World Domination.

Then, one day, in the course of a discussion, somebody said, Hey! Let’s do an anthology.

So we did. That project became 2003 Hardin Way— available at Amazon and Smashwords (find links at the end of Keeper of the Heart!)—an anthology of novellas based around the idea of a safe haven for women in need.

And then, with 2003 Hardin Way published, Laura and Tanya said, That was great! Let’s do it again!

Laura added, "How about doing a Fantasy Island-type thing? But what if we changed it and did it this way?"

Tanya replied, What are we waiting for?

The result? This fun collection of romantic-fantasy novellas. We hope you love these stories as much as we loved writing them. Welcome to the Bat Collective’s second anthology, Keeper of the Heart.

And once again, if you think we had fun pulling this together let us assure you we didn’t. That would be against Cave rules. As always.

Laura Hamby, anthology coordinator

Tanya Saari, editor

One Little Slip

Meg Allison

It’s a recipe for disaster…Combine a haunted house in paradise, one injured warrior, and a woman hell-bent on standing on her own four-inch heels.

Fiona Reid expected to spend her free vacation at a five-star resort, not in a dilapidated plantation house straight out of the nineteenth century. And she certainly didn’t expect the forced close company of one handsome and slightly infuriating security agent.

Julio Alvarez needs to let his wounds heal, and get back to his familiar life. The last thing he needs is a prickly brunette in killer shoes and ghosts that do his bidding.

Her Hero Wears a Fedora

Laura Hamby

Tabitha Brady envisioned a much different vacation. One with sandy white beaches, turquoise water, and maybe cabana boys. Oh yes, definitely cabana boys. She didn’t expect accommodations in a 19th-century hotel, period clothing, or being chased through the forest by Bigfoot. And certainly not Noah Ellery, an Indiana Jones type, complete with fedora and insight into her soul.

Psychologist Noah wasn’t expecting emotionally battered Tabitha, either. Could she accept him and his profession? Drawn to Freyja’s island getaway and to one another, can this pair battle the Bigfoot monsters in their lives and find true happiness together? Freyja thinks they can.

All She Wanted

Kris Starr

S. Eloise Hayman is always in control. Always. Growing up with hippie-dippy parents who cared more about peace and harmony than paying the electric bill, Eloise single-mindedly clawed her way to the top of the business world, relying on nothing and no one to get her there. Until a health scare makes her rethink her priorities—and a sexy stranger on a fantastical resort island makes her wonder if just maybe she’s been missing out on something important.

Lee Montgomery inexplicably finds himself in a mysterious tropical paradise with no way to get off, and only the gorgeous Eloise to keep him company. The glimpses of heat beneath her standoffish, chilly exterior pique his curiosity, but her singlemindedness toward business and money make him leery about revealing his own well-to-do situation. But her kisses are scorching and her body deliciously tempting. Can he convince her there’s more to life than profits and losses, or is she too driven to simply slow down and enjoy the ride…?

This anthology is dedicated with a tremendous amount of love to Josh Lockwood. Josh was our Batman—the only man bat in the Cave. He followed Meg Allison into the Cave a decade ago, and despite our regularly female-centric talk, he stuck around. Brave, brave man to stick around with a group of crazy female romance writers who would often complain about Aunt Flo (prefaced with the warning Don’t look, Batman!), as well as talk about writing, our kids, our husbands, our lives. He shared stories about his wife, whom he adoringly called his Pretty Pilippina; told us hilarious, inappropriate jokes; gave us a male perspective of our work if we asked; and kept us updated on bad weather heading our way, as that’s what he did in the Navy. He was also a Vietnam veteran.

We lost our Batman in June, 2013.

And so Keeper of the Heart is for our Batman, because we miss him.

Keeper of the Heart

Prologue

The stack had grown significantly taller.

Pulling her gaze away from the pile of invitations neatly grouped on the corner of her desk, Freyja carefully folded the remaining sheet of thick, cream-colored vellum and slid it inside a matching envelope. She heated her silver wax stick briefly in the candle’s flame and dropped a molten blob onto the flap before pressing her seal into the rapidly solidifying wax. She stared at the image of a stylized heart for a long moment.

So many. Kai’s gruff voice interrupted her musings.

She knew her assistant referred to the number of parcels she had just assembled and made a soft, wordless sound of agreement.

Why?

Freyja shook her head. I do not know.

Kai grunted, and she turned her head to look at him. He peered at her from under bushy, black eyebrows, the ever-present scowl on his face visible even through the thick, coarse beard that fell to his chest. His expression was filled with many emotions that she could easily identify—concern, irritation, frustration—and one more she could discern, even though he did his best to hide it.

Pity.

A rare surge of anger mixed with sorrow rose in her chest and she fought it down. I do not ask for greater numbers, Dwarf. I simply answer the calls of those who seek help. That their numbers grow is something I cannot control. It is not mine to know why those whose hearts are good must suffer through mortal lives wrought with sorrow and discontent.

As you?

An incredulous laugh bubbled from her throat. I am not mortal. What is this you ask?

Sorrow. Discontent.

Freyja abruptly rose and crossed the Great Hall of Sessrúmnir to the large bank of windows that overlooked the vast, blue-green expanse of ocean. The sun was beginning its normal descent and she watched the sky slip into its eventide robes of dusky rose, orange and red. Rakastaa wove her way around her ankles, the cat’s fur warm and comforting.

She knew Kai waited for an answer, but that nothing more would be forthcoming.

She closed her eyes. Damn the dwarf and his taciturn nature.

He will come, she whispered, the words both a prayer and a promise to herself.

When?

You know as well as I do that I do not know that information. Sharpness filled her tone and she held her tongue. It would not do to lash out at her companion. Please, Kai. Do not question me further. Take the packages and send them, and then begin preparations for our next visitors.

Despite his diminutive stature and his broad girth, Kai moved as silently as a mouse. The faint click of the door was the only indication that he had gone.

Freyja continued to watch the sunset, her mind filled with thoughts of the souls soon to be en route. Hearts undone, hearts lost and alone.

As a blanket of darkness began to creep over the island, she turned from the window, intent on beginning her nighttime rituals. At the last moment, however, she cast a final, desperate plea into the dusky sky.

Oh, Odr, husband, as I heal the hearts of others, return to me so thou canst heal mine.

As before, no reply reached her ears, save the gentle whisper of the wind through the palm trees. The scene before her blurred, and she knew the first of the invitations she'd sent out the week previously had been discovered by its recipient, and even the sound of the breeze receded.

* * * *

The envelope waited just inside her front door, resting on the floor atop a half-dozen credit card statements, utility bills and pieces of junk mail. She picked up the package, weighing it thoughtfully in her hands. No return address and a blurred postmark. Curious. The subtle aroma of hibiscus flowers tickled her nose, and the long, hard, frustrating day at work was quickly forgotten.

There was nothing more thrilling than a mysterious package, and she quickly made work of the old-fashioned wax seal on the back. Several sheaves of heavy, cream-colored vellum lay nestled in expensive-looking tissue paper in beautiful swirls of yellow, pink and turquoise. Carefully unfolding the pages, she spotted her name, written in an elegant, flourishing script.

You are cordially invited for a two week vacation on Freyja’s Eye. Your itinerary and airline tickets are included in the envelope. We trust that we’ve included everything you need in our enclosure. Simply fill out the RSVP card and return to us by the end of the week. We look forward to having you as our guest.

Kind regards, Freyja and Kai,

Proprietors

And that’s how she found herself, the only passenger, pampered by a full complement of flight staff, on the most luxurious private jet she’d ever seen. As much as she tried to remain alert to enjoy the entire experience, fatigue quickly pulled her into a deep, restful sleep. When next she opened her eyes, the jet was descending toward the single landing strip of a lush, green island surrounded by gorgeous, sparkling azure water. Exiting the aircraft with her belongings, she spotted someone waiting near a vehicle that looked like a golf cart on speed. She headed in his direction, then stopped in surprise when he bowed to her.

I’m Kai. Welcome to Freyja’s Eye. The dwarf, who reminded her of Gimli from The Lord of the Rings movies, took her suitcase and loaded it into the back of the cart. He gestured for her to climb aboard, and they sped off down a narrow road.

The short ride didn’t give her enough time to survey her surroundings as thoroughly as she wished, but all that didn’t matter when the cart drew to a gentle halt on the stone-paved road that circled a magnificent, white marble fountain that sprayed gentle ribbons of water in intertwining arcs.

Kai gestured her out of the cart, and they stood there for a long moment, waiting for something. Or someone.

It was someone.

She strode from an impressive building made of white stone and glass. A white cat perched on the woman’s shoulder, a marvel in and of itself, as the woman stood over six feet tall. Her golden-blonde hair was pulled back in a long, thick plait that bounced against her back as she walked, and she wore a long, flowing gown of the palest pink. Her voice rang out clear as a bell, and the words seemed to sparkle, if that was even possible, as she spoke.

I bid you welcome, sweet soul. You’ve been chosen for this journey because of your heart and the longing within, whether you have been aware of it or not. But Freyja’s Eye isn’t for the lovelorn, or those who’ve been hurt by love. No, Freyja’s Eye serves the whims of the lovelost. Those who have given up hope of ever finding that one special person, the other half of their soul. No boundaries exist here. There is no right or wrong, but everything that happens here, everything you experience, must be consensual. Above all, you must open your mind and your heart to the possibilities and whatever it is that may come to pass.

One Little Slip

Meg Allison

Meg Allison is a published writer, wife, mom, and a crazy cat lady in training. Life is often chaotic, but never boring, especially when she’s on a deadline.

Visit Meg online: http://megallisonauthor.com

Contact Meg: [e-mail]

Backlist

Novels:

Secrets and Shadows

Alaina’s Promise

Dream Walk – The Sentinels; Book One

Broken (a Sentinels novel)

Short stories and novellas:

Second Chances

Accidentally in Love

Romancing Jenny

Table for Two

April’s Crush

Winter’s Kiss (anthology)

Familiar

Dedication

For my children – always follow your heart.

Chapter One

What the bloody hell was he thinking?

He raised his hand and leveled the weapon at the target. Another squeeze of the trigger and the gun fired, sending a sharp tremor down his arm. Julio Alvarez winced as the action tore through his shoulder and pulled at his mending collarbone. Dammit. He had to get back into working shape. He needed this vacation like he needed another broken bone, but it was all he could do to appease his sister. Get back in shape, get some rest—or else, she had warned. If there was one thing Julio had learned in his thirty-six years on the planet, it was to obey his tough-as-nails big sister. The little chica could be hell on wheels when thwarted.

The memory of her determined stance made him grin. Julio lifted the revolver again, aimed, fired. The recoil roared up and back down his arm as the bullet grazed the tree.

Shit!

It was like being injured all over again. He frowned. Maybe it was too soon for this.

Maybe he needed to go back to lifting the hand weights before he tried target practice. The hum of an engine had him turning back toward the road. He watched as the large golf cart whirred around the corner and pulled to a stop in front of the old Victorian.

Julio walked