After the Snow Melts

By Maggie Blackbird

Rich, popular, and gorgeous Bryan DeChamps pines from afar for his best friend. He loathes the idea of helping Elliot score a date for the snow dance. With his time running out, Bryan must find a way to capture his buddy’s attention—and that means boldly leaving an anonymous card in his main man’s locker.

Grateful for Bryan’s friendship ever since he moved from his Ojibway community to Thunder Bay to attend high school, Elliot Wasacase can’t disclose his true feelings, or he’ll lose the one true friend he has. Upon discovering an unsigned card in his locker from an admiring dude, he’s terrified someone knows his secret but suspects the person might be Bryan.

When Bryan’s car breaks down, stranding them on top of the mountain during a snowstorm, the two must either take a leap of faith or let fear and clashing beliefs cost them what they truly desire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Mar 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781487428389

Book preview

He’s got to find a way to tell his best friend that he wants him—or lose him forever.

Rich, popular, and gorgeous Bryan DeChamps pines from afar for his best friend. He loathes the idea of helping Elliot score a date for the snow dance. With his time running out, Bryan must find a way to capture his buddy’s attention—and that means boldly leaving an anonymous card in his main man’s locker.

Grateful for Bryan’s friendship ever since he moved from his Ojibway community to Thunder Bay to attend high school, Elliot Wasacase can’t disclose his true feelings, or he’ll lose the one true friend he has. Upon discovering an unsigned card in his locker from an admiring dude, he’s terrified someone knows his secret but suspects the person might be Bryan.

When Bryan’s car breaks down, stranding them on top of the mountain during a snowstorm, the two must either take a leap of faith or let fear and clashing beliefs cost them what they truly desire.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

After the Snow Melts

Copyright © 2020 Maggie Blackbird

ISBN: 978-1-4874-2838-9

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

Look for us online at:

www.eXtasybooks.com or www.devinedestinies.com

Smashwords Edition

After the Snow Melts

By

Maggie Blackbird

Dedication

For my fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes who live for winter and hate it when the snow melts.

Thank you to my husband and the Mals for your never-ending support, love, and patience.

Thank you to my editor, Emmy, my proofer, Bri, cover artist, Martine, and Jay, EIC.

Chapter One: Blue Monday

March, 1986

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Someone’s stare was burning into Elliott’s backside again. If he turned in his desk, he’d catch Raquel firing him the look, as she’d done ever since the Christmas break. Why one of the hottest babes in school was eyeballing him went over his head, just like the trigonometry lecture Mr. Luck was finishing up, thank fuck.

It was now a matter of choice. Try to unscramble the lecture in his brain or dissect—as he’d done to the moth in biology last class—the reason for Raquel’s constant attention. Someone had probably dared her to give the boggan five seconds of her precious time. She probably had some coin placed on a bet.

Sure, the girls back at Elliot’s home reserve dug him, but they were Indians, too. If not for his main man, he would’ve ended up in the dreaded outcast clique. And they weren’t even a clique. A bunch of friends by default because no one else wanted to chill with them.

The bell rang.

Elliot gathered up his books. The five-minute break. He’d meet Bryan at their usual spot for a quick smoke.

Elliot... The voice belonged to super-babe, Raquel.

Halfway into the hall, Elliot stopped. He glanced over his shoulder. If she dared to trash him in front of everyone... Yeah?

Are you going to the dance? Her brown hair cascaded in the latest spiral perm down her shoulders. She’d teased her bangs in the newest sexy up-and-to-the-side, and it skimmed one perfectly plucked brow.

Don’t know.

Some of Elliot’s classmates moved past him. A couple of them lingered, checking their books. Losers. They were looking to get a scoop, and it sure wasn’t ice cream they were sniffing for.

You should ask someone... Raquel licked her glossy pink lips, elbowed her friend while smiling, and sashayed away, giving her ass molded in tight jeans a wiggle. She stole another peek his way and then vanished into the mob of students.

Now that had come out of nowhere. Elliot swiveled on his boot and hurried down the hall.

As awesome as the unexpected attention from Raquel was, if only Bryan had dropped such a clue instead. But he wouldn’t, because Bryan Deschamps—Mr. Popularity, Mr. Wicked Hot, Mr. Rich, and most important, Elliot’s best friend—was a dude. He was clueless about those who possessed two spirits. Nobody in Thunder Bay or anywhere else on Turtle Island, aka North America, had a clue. Only Elliot’s people did.

As he blazed down the stairs, an ocean of loneliness flooded his aching heart—longing for home, yearning