Chapter 1

The townspeople of Frost Hollow were in high spirits, gathered around the towering Christmas tree that had been the centerpiece of their Christmas festival for years. The twinkling lights strung all over, illuminating the joy that seemed to sparkle all around. Yet, despite the warmth of holiday cheer, one person, Rose Tucker couldn't shake the bittersweet ache in her heart as she sat alone in one the gazebos thinking nonstop about one man. Mark Calaway had always been a part of her life for the last 22 years. Two years older, he'd grown up alongside her in this little town, a steady, comforting presence. While Mark was quiet and a little mysterious, he'd always made her feel safe, even when they were kids. And through the years, his younger brother Kane had become her best friend. But it was Mark who'd always held her heart, even before she realized what love was. Their bond had grown even stronger when she decided to stay close to home for college after her father passed away suddenly. She started helping her Mom run their bakery while attending classes at the local university. Mark had been her biggest supporter, giving her the strength to carry on days she wanted to give up since her Dad had passed. They had decided to take their relationship beyond friendship. It felt natural, like something that had always been meant to happen. Their connection deepened, the lines between friendship and love blurring into something beautiful and undeniable. For a year, they'd shared moments of joy, dreams of a future, and quiet nights under the stars. But then, Mark's dream of becoming a professional wrestler kept coming up and he had finally decided to start pursuing it. He had agreed to start training with one of the wrestling associations and would be leaving for the road. Rose had always known it was coming, and she'd never once considered standing in his way. Even if it broke her heart to think about him leaving, she loved him too much to hold him back. Rose stuffed her hand deep into her coat pocket, clutching something she couldn't let anyone see. Especially not Mark. Her heart ached as she heard his laugh breaking her thoughts. She looked up seeing him with Kane and some old high school friends, the easy smile on his face lighting up the winter night.

Rose tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. She shifted her gaze to the Christmas tree and the delicate snowflake ornaments hanging from the lower branches. Tradition dictated that anyone not married, if brave enough, picked one, hoping it matched with their significant other to reveal they were destined soulmates or lead someone single to their soulmate. Most years, the legend remained a whispered hope, but every so often, two people found their match. Mark and her had agreed before he had joined one of the wrestling associations that they would pick snowflakes this year to see what would happen.

Rose bit her lip, her mind replaying the moment from earlier that evening. When she had picked her snowflake, she hadn't expected much—just a whimsical moment to indulge in. But then, as she wandered closer to Mark's side, her heart had nearly stopped, something looked too familiar in the snowflake's design he had chosen. Someone called his name and he had put the ornament down for a few moments and she placed her snowflake next to it when he wasn't paying attention. And when she compared hers to his, a miracle—or perhaps a cruel twist of fate—occurred. The two snowflakes matched perfectly.

She had stared at them, side by side, a storm of emotions swirling within her. But in the end, the weight of reality had crushed whatever hope had begun to bloom. Mark was leaving. It wouldn't be fair to tell him they matched when he was about to pursue his dreams. She knew him well enough that he would rethink his plan to follow his dream if she told him. So she had done the only thing she could think of. She slipped away from the party, before Mark saw her clutching the snowflake fearfully to lose it. Now, she sat there in the gazebo surrounded by holiday joy, feeling confusion and sadness.

"Rose, hey! Why are you sitting by yourself?" Mark's deep voice broke her reverie. She looked up meeting his warm green eyes despite the chill in the air. "I've been looking for you. You missed picking a snowflake ornament. You okay?"

Rose forced a smile. "Yeah, just feeling a bit under the weather. I was hoping if I sat for a bit I would feel better."

His brow furrowed in concern. "Why didn't you come find me? I would have taken you back to my place to rest instead of sitting by yourself in the cold."

"I'll be ok," she lied, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. "How's the festival?"

Mark's smile faltered ever so slightly, and she wondered if he sensed her unease. "It's not the same without you. We haven't done any of the competitions this year like we normally do. It doesn't feel right we haven't done even one," he admitted, his voice soft. "Are you sure everything's fine?"

Rose nodded quickly, her hand tightening around the hidden snowflake in her pocket. "Absolutely. Just feel bad for missing picking a snowflake like we said we would do."

Something flickered in his eyes—disappointment, maybe, or curiosity—but he let it go, giving her a grin that was so achingly familiar it hurt. "Well, next year I'll make sure you do and we will do the competitions again. How about we go back to my place and enjoy our last night together before I hit the road? I'll even let you choose the Christmas movie."

She wanted to say no, to send him away before she made a mistake, but she couldn't. Not tonight, not when deep down she knew she had to start letting him go and she wanted to enjoy the last few hours with him. She felt the painful ache knowing after tonight she had to learn to live without him. "Yeah," she whispered, "that sounds perfect."