Chapter One

Cassy came racing down the stairs, her long hair bouncing happily on her shoulders, when she heard the front door closing. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped suddenly. Her sister, Stephanie, stood there at the front door sorting through the pile of mail in her hands. From the look on her face Cassy could tell that the letter she had been waiting for was not there.

“Please tell me it came, Steph,” she pleaded with her sister. “It just has to be here today.”

Stephanie glanced at her with a look of disappointment on her face. “I’m sorry, Sis, but it still isn’t here. Maybe it will show up tomorrow.”

“But tomorrow will be too late,” Cassy said as she sat down heavily on the couch. She was behaving just like a young girl pouting because she didn’t get her way. “What am I going to do? I guess I’ll just have to give Sheila a call and see if she can work something out. I’m supposed to be in New York tomorrow.” She stood up and started heading for the telephone. “Why do things always go wrong for me?” she muttered to herself.

Stephanie stepped up behind her sister and tossed a white envelope onto the table in front of her. Cassy picked up the enveloped and squealed with delight. She spun around and threw her arms around her sister, nearly knocking her off her feet. “It did come! I’m going to New York. I am so excited.” Then she stopped and backed up a step. She glared at her older sister before playfully punching her in the shoulder. “That was dreadful of you to hide that from me! You know how long I have been waiting for that letter. How could you be so mean?”

Stephanie just smiled at Cassy, her blue eyes sparkling with merriment. “That’s what big sisters are for.” She snatched the envelope from Cassy’s hand and sprinted into the kitchen with it held high over her head.

Cassy was right on her heels but not quick enough to stop Stephanie from opening the envelope first. “You aren’t going to believe what it says, Cass.”

Cassy felt her heart sinking. Things always seemed to go wrong for her, even when they were going right. “What does it say? Wait, I’m not sure I really want to know.”

“It says that your plane leaves on Thursday at 7 o’clock pm.”

“What? That can’t be!" Cassy's violet eyes were wide with shock. "This is Thursday and it is already 4 o’clock. How will I ever be ready in time? I had better start packing.” She began to head for the stairs when her sister stopped her.

“There’s more, Cassy. It also seems that you won’t be going alone. Sheila sent two plane tickets so that I can go with you. So I guess we had both better get started packing if we want to get to the airport in time.”

Cassy beamed at the thought of going to New York with her sister. They hadn’t gone anywhere together in years, not since before her parents died six years ago. A little vacation was just what they needed.

They raced each other up the stairs looking a lot like little girls. When they reached the top Stephanie stopped and turned a somber face to Cassy. “You know, it was beginning to snow when I went to get the mail. I hope it doesn’t keep snowing or we might have to take a later flight.”

“No way am I going to miss my flight. We will just have to get packed quickly and get to the airport. I’m sure the snow will hold off until we are gone.” She dashed into her bedroom and pulled her suitcase out of the closet.

As she packed her things she listened to the radio weather report. They were predicting at least ten inches of the lovely white fluff before midnight. They were advising people to stay inside for the night and if they needed any provisions they should go out right now and get them. Cassy was glad that they didn’t need to do any shopping because the stores would be packed like sardines within the next hour as everyone hurried out to buy supplies.

Nothing was said about flights being delayed or cancelled so things were still looking good for her. As long as they could get out of here before too much snow fell then everything would be fine.

The girls both emerged from their bedrooms at the same time, lugging their burdensome suitcases and carry-on bags just in case the luggage was somehow misplaced. Their mother had always told them that you can't trust the airlines. She taught them to always take a carry-on bag with your toiletries and a change of clothing, just in case. They hurried downstairs and placed their luggage by the front door.

“I’m going to contact Kyle at the ranger station and let him know that we are going away for a while so he can keep an eye on the house for us.” Stephanie was always the level headed one who thought of all the fine details.

While she was on the phone, Cassy started lugging their bags out to the jeep. The snow was coming down pretty good and she didn’t doubt that there would be several inches on the ground before too long. Once she had all the bags in the jeep she headed back inside.

“It’s coming down pretty good, Steph. I think we should be leaving soon just to give ourselves enough time to get there.” She suddenly felt very nervous as well as excited. This was the first time that she had ever been to New York and it was for such a wonderful reason, too. She had been writing fiction novels for the past few years. This was her third book to be published and it was being released this next week. Her publisher, Sheila Adams, was flying them to New York for publicity. There was to be a book signing at a local bookstore and rumor had it that there was going to be some kind of social gathering as well. This could her chance to become a well known author, finally.

“Keep your pants on, girl. We have ample of time to get there.” Stephanie had just gotten off the phone with Rob Johnson at the ranger station. Rob had been Kyle Buckland’s partner for the past five years and they were all good friends. Kyle had been there for Stephanie when their parents died and she had made sure that he stayed part of her life ever since. Rob was a few years younger than Kyle and he had his eye on Cassy, although Cassy never really seemed to notice.

“I have the bags already in the jeep so it looks like we are ready to go.” Cassy was a bit anxious to get on the road. She was sure that if they didn’t leave soon something would happen to delay them. Then she would never get to the airport in time for the flight.

Stephanie chuckled to herself. Cassy may be 23 years old but she still acted like a 10 year old sometimes. “We have to turn the heat down a bit and make sure the doors and windows are all locked. Kyle and Rob will stop by every day to pick up the mail and make sure things are okay. We will have to be sure to pick them each up a gift before we come home.”

“Not a problem. I’m sure we can find them something nice. Now,” she said impatiently, “can we please get going?”

************

The trip to the airport was made in near silence, each girl lost in her own thoughts. Stephanie was thinking about how nice it would be to come back home and see Kyle. She didn’t like big crowds and New York was definitely full of big crowds. Besides, she really cared for Kyle and any excuse to see him was reasonable in her eyes. They had been spending a lot of time together over the past six years and she was hoping that one of these days soon he would get up the nerve to ask her to marry him. She also thought that things between Cassy and Rob could go the same route if Cassy would just wake up and notice him one of these days. It was painfully obvious to her and Kyle that Rob was in love with Cassy. For some reason Cassy just didn’t seem to notice. She liked Rob very much but she just didn’t think that any man would fall in love with her. Stephanie hoped her sister would notice soon. She wanted her to be happy and have a good life and Stephanie knew that Rob would be a good husband and provider for her little sister.

Cassy, meanwhile, was thinking about what lie ahead of her in New York. She would get to meet lots of new people and make some important contacts, hopefully. If there was a party she would be able to dress up like she always wanted to. Living in the middle of nowhere didn’t allow for such things as fancy dresses and high heels. And the only parties they ever had around there were either birthday parties or houseware parties, both of which left a lot to be desired as far as Cassy was concerned.

Cassy loved being around people, unlike her sister who would prefer to be alone or with family and friends. She had always hated living in such a remote location. Their small town had less than 500 people in it and she had always dreamt of being in a large city where people were everywhere. She wanted to be able to study people and how they acted towards each other. It would make great research for any future books she might want to write. Seeing how other people interacted was important to her. All she knew about was what went on at home, and that wasn’t very much.

Just at that moment the jeep swerved slightly, bringing Cassy out of her reverie. Stephanie had everything under control, as usual. “It’s nothing to worry about, Sis. There was a fox in the road.” She was afraid to tell Cassy that all she did was tap on the brakes. The road was becoming a bit slippery under the snow. She would just have to drive more carefully. They would be at the airport soon, anyway. Hopefully their flight would still be able to take off as planned.

“How much longer before we get there?” Cassy felt the need to start conversing to keep her sister from daydreaming. She knew that the road was getting slippery. She could tell by the way the jeep swerved. It was more of a skid than a swerve.

“It should only be about another twenty minutes. At least it will be if the snow doesn’t get any worse. It’s building up pretty quick in places.” She glanced off to the side of the road. The distant trees were just a blurry shadow through the thick sheet of falling snow.

“I have a sinking feeling that we won’t be going anywhere tonight.” Cassy looked out the window, too. It wouldn’t be safe to be trying to fly a plane in this weather. “I doubt that there will be any more flights tonight.”

“Let’s just wait until we get to the airport and find out for sure. Even if they do cancel the flights for tonight there will still be some in the morning. We will still make it to New York in time for all of your publicity fun.”

They made it to the airport with only a few minutes to go before their flight was scheduled to leave. The snow had let up some and all flights were delayed only fifteen minutes. The girls checked their luggage and then found their way to the waiting area.

“I have to tell you, Steph, that I am really surprised,” Cassy said as she sat near the window so she could look at the planes outside.

“Oh really? What are you surprised about, Cassy?” She was feeling relieved to finally be off the road and one step closer to reaching their destination.

“I truly expected the flights to all be cancelled. I guess maybe my bad luck is finally changing a bit.” She let out a deep sigh as she let it sink in that she was really going to New York and everything was going as scheduled.

Stephanie reached out and held her sister’s hand. “I expected it, also. But here we are and the flight has only been delayed a few minutes.”

Just at that time the announcement was made that their flight would start boarding in five minutes. Cassy could feel a tightening in her stomach as the excitement flooded through her. She had never been on a plane before and the thought of flying in this weather made her a bit nervous. She tried to not think about it and instead she turned her thoughts to all the fun she would be having in a few hours when they landed in New York.

“Come on, Cassy,” Stephanie said as she began to stand. “It’s time to board the plane. We should be in New York in time to have a late dinner, what with the time change and all.”

Cassy hadn’t even heard the announcement because she had been so lost in her thoughts. She picked up her carryon bag and followed her sister to the boarding gate. Her stomach was full of butterflies and she felt slightly light headed.

Stephanie sensed her little sister’s distress and took her hand once again. “It’s going to be fine, Cass. The pilots are trained to fly in all kinds of weather. It will only be a few more hours before we get to New York and then you will forget all about how you feel right now.”

Cassy smiled but couldn’t think of anything to say. She quietly stepped onto the plane and sat down in her seat next to the window. She wasn’t too sure if she would want to look out the window once they were in the air, but it was nice to have the option. She fastened her seatbelt, took a deep breath, and tried to relax.

The flight went by more quickly than Cassy had expected. It helped that Stephanie kept the conversation going the entire time so Cassy didn’t have much time to think about flying. Before she realized it, the Captain was announcing their arrival at John F. Kennedy airport. Her nervousness had left her and was replaced with sheer excitement.

As they departed from the plane and entered the airport Sheila was there waiting for them. “You’re here! How was the flight? I am so excited about this. I have all kinds of things planned for us. I promise that you will not suffer one dull moment while you’re here.” Sheila had a way of carrying on a conversation on her own.

“The flight was fine, I guess.” Cassy was just happy to have her feet on the ground again. “But since I’ve never flown before I don’t really have anything to compare it to.”

Stephanie joined the two women, “The flight was fine, Sheila. No problems at all, there wasn't even much turbulence."

“That’s wonderful. Now let’s see about getting your luggage so we can get out of here. I want to get you guys settled into your hotel room and then we can go out and get some dinner.” She quickly led the way to the baggage claim.

Once they had retrieved their luggage they headed for the front door. Outside there was a long, black limousine waiting for them. “Don’t get too used to this kind of treatment, ladies. The limo is just for the ride to the hotel. You will have to settle for me driving you around for the rest of your stay.”

“I think we can handle that, can’t we, Steph?” Cassy was so overwhelmed with excitement that she felt just like a small child on Christmas morning. She climbed into the limousine and sat awestruck for a few moments, just taking in her surroundings. On the short trip to the hotel she stared out the window nearly the entire ride. Cassy had never seen such large buildings and so many people in one place before. It definitely wasn’t like you saw in the movies. This was so much different, actually being a part of the big city.

The hotel manager was waiting for them because Sheila had called in advance to let him know they were on their way. He was paid handsomely to show Stephanie and Cassy special treatment. After all, someday Cassy would be a world-renowned author and he would have the privilege of saying that she had stayed in his hotel.

Taking the elevator to the 15^th floor was in itself a new experience. Not that the girls had never ridden in an elevator, but this one actually had an operator. There was also a padded bench in the back so weary shoppers could rest their feet during the ride to their room.

When they got to the suite their luggage was already waiting for them. The room was very large, with a sitting area, a dining area and two bedrooms. The furniture that occupied the sitting area was a plush black leather couch and loveseat. On the coffee table sat a welcoming basket of fruit and a bottle of wine. Vases filled with flowers sat on nearly every available space lending an air of comfort and welcome to the room.

“Wow,” Stephanie said as she slowly turned around, taking in the sight of the room. “This is something else. I have never seen a hotel room like this before. This is fantastic.”

“I’m so pleased that you like it, Steph. I want you both to be comfortable while you’re here. If you ever need anything you can call the front desk and they can get it for you.”

Cassy was just emerging from the room that she claimed as hers. “This is really an amazing place, Sheila. We both have our own bathrooms, too.” She walked over to the balcony doors and admired the view. “I could really get used to being treated like this.”

“Don’t get too used to it, Sis. We are only here for a week or so and then it’s back home to our drab little house.” Their house was anything but drab and little. In fact, it was one of the nicest houses in their town. Their father had been a construction worker and he also taught part-time at the high school. Their mother had been a real estate agent and she felt that it was only proper that she live in one of the nicest houses they could find. Their father had done quite a bit of remodeling so that the house would be just what they wanted and they were definitely the envy of all their friends.

“Well,” Cassy said, breaking into Stephanie’s reverie. “Since I am here on vacation I think I deserve the best and I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can.” She folded her arms across her chest like a child throwing a temper tantrum. She even went so far as to stamp her foot hard on the plush carpet. Anyone would have thought she was truly upset except for the slight tugging at the corner of mouth as she tried not to smile.

“That’s the plan, dear.” Sheila pulled a credit card out of her pocket and handed it to Cassy. “This is a company card and you are to use it on whatever you like. This is a business affair and you aren’t expected to pay for anything. The publishing house has agreed to cover all of your expenses while you are here.”

Both girls stood in awe for a moment, unable to believe what they were hearing. This was going to be better than they had expected. Cassy had been saving her money for the last few months so she could go shopping while in New York. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about it.

“Now, I’m going to leave the two of you alone for a while. I suggest you get unpacked and make sure you have everything you need. I’ll be back in about an hour and then we will go have some dinner. I know it's kind of late but you still need to eat something.” She started heading for the door then stopped and turned back. “Find something real nice to wear for dinner. I have reservations at one of the finer restaurants. See you in about an hour.”

As soon as the door closed behind her, Stephanie and Cassy raced into Cassy’s bedroom and threw themselves down on the king-sized bed. “This is going to be some vacation, isn’t it?”

Stephanie couldn’t suppress her excitement. “This is going to be a Christmas to never forget!”