Snowed In: Naomi and Reeta

By Ginna Wilkerson

American artist Naomi Bowers travels to Finland to make a film. The break is welcome, as her relationship with her partner Cat is strained. But Naomi doesn't expect the romantic adventure ahead.

Reeta Hellgren is a Laplander with a dark secret. Her exotic beauty and clever conversation intrigue Naomi when they meet at a local pub. Naomi pushes thoughts of Cat to the back of her mind, drawn into Reeta's warm embrace.

But there are odd aspects of her new friend that haunt Naomi from the beginning. Reeta's reluctance to share her past and her unusual reaction to dogs set off alarms. But the sexual attraction between them is too strong to ignore.

Their connection is electric, but mystery still lurks in the air. At a snowed-in cabin in the Finnish countryside, Reeta's secret is finally revealed. Will Naomi be able to accept the truth about her lover?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Feb 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781634868358

Ginna Wilkerson

Ginna Wilkerson has been writing almost since she could read, and often teaches writing as an adjunct professor. She has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and discovered a love of travel later in life. She has long been fascinated by the supernatural as it appears in ordinary life. Ginna has two adult children and one grandson, and lives with her partner and their cats.

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Snowed In: Naomi and Reeta

By Ginna Wilkerson

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2019 Ginna Wilkerson

ISBN 9781634868358

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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For friends in Finland.

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Snowed In: Naomi and Reeta

By Ginna Wilkerson

Chapter 1: Arrival

Naomi Bowers steps out of the airbridge in the Helsinki airport, lugging her carryon while consulting the directions she printed out before leaving home in Beckley, West Virginia. There’s no one to meet her, but for introvert Naomi this is something of a plus. Her only real concern is to reclaim her baggage, and then find a taxi. An Airbnb apartment awaits her in the heart of Helsinki, which will hopefully include a hot bath and several glasses of wine.

Pulling her small bag behind her on its wheels, Naomi heads to the baggage claim, thankfully labeled in English as well as Finnish. She had tried to learn a bit of the native language, but not much had stuck. She can say yes and thank you—and that’s about it. Luckily, she has been told that pretty much everyone under forty in Finland speaks English.

The airport is full of lively passengers, younger than the average American crowd and less ethnically diverse. In spite of herself, Naomi begins to feel that she’s fitting in.

Standing at the luggage carousel, Naomi’s thoughts drift to her partner back in West Virginia. She and Cat met in college, both weirdo outcasts in the 1970s sorority culture. There were lots of times when they covered for each other on dates and at parties.

Cat has always been supportive of Naomi’s film-making projects, but this time seems a bit different for some reason. Maybe it’s just that the two women have been drifting apart in the last couple of years. But Naomi can’t shake the idea that this trip is a turning point. She makes a silent vow to call Cat as soon as she gets settled in.

Naomi glances around her at the baggage claim, noticing her fellow travelers. She shoves a stray strand of curly gray hair behind her ear, a bit self-conscious about her age. Not an unusual reaction for the shy and self-conscious artist. She makes a concerted effort to focus on the task at hand: successfully finding the Airbnb apartment and getting a good night’s sleep.

Her ultimate destination is a creative center to the north of Helsinki where Naomi will spend a month working on a film project documenting local spaces in rural Finland, and enjoying the company of fellow artists from all over the world. As always, the time away from West Virginia—and from Cat—feels like an oasis in the tension that has become her everyday life.

After claiming her luggage, which thankfully comes right out on the carousel, and going through customs, Naomi heads to find ground transportation. She follows the signs for the taxi stand as she still isn’t comfortable with Uber—especially in a foreign country.

Suddenly, a tempting smell wafts its way past her nose: hot dogs! Naomi is struggling with eating vegetarian, but a good hot dog is a weak