The Shadows of Christmas Past - "Rocky Mountain Miracle"

Cole Steele doesn’t want to be here. In fact, he swore never to come here again. When he escaped years earlier, he barely escaped with his life. Now the old man is dead and left him as the guardian to a brother he never knew he had.

Cole is determined not to screw this up. So he’s back in this house, tormented by his own demons to protect the younger brother his father had kept from him. He doesn’t want Jase to end him up like him; detached, fierce, and unable to trust anyone, in essence a loner. He wants his little brother to have whatever chance at normal that he can. Cole knows what it’s like to be haunted by the demons after you, that only becoming unbelievably drunk can keep the nightmares away.

When Cole needs Mia Armstrong’s skill with animals, Mia has no choice but to help, the best she can do is keep him at arms length for as long as she can. That doesn’t turn out to be very long. Mia gets to Cole in a way that no one ever has and she absolutely will not fall for this man. Mia knows that traveling down that road will only lead to heartache. Secrets have a way of coming out and Mia is tortured by what she senses has happened to both Cole and Jase. She can’t help herself; her heart opens to them both.

Someone killed their father and now a lot of strange things are happening and Cole and Jase are guiltily suspicious of each other. Cole worries it’s Jase even though he wouldn’t be able to blame him. Jase fears it’s Cole, especially with Cole’s secretive past. Mia refuses to believe either of them is responsible, but just what secrets is she hiding from the brothers? Christmas is a time for miracles and no one is more deserving than Cole and Jase. Will they be able to put their past behind them? Will Mia be able to except Cole for who and what he is and still love him? How will Cole react to the secret that Mia is keeping? Can these three people come together during this special time of the year, or will they be torn apart by circumstances beyond their control?

Rocky Mountain Miracle by Christine Feehan is brilliant! Never have I read such an emotionally charged short story. Cole and Jase have been beaten, tortured, and tormented by their own father. The impact this had on their lives is vividly implied throughout the entire book. Not once can readers forget that they have suffered something horrible and are trying to overcome that. Mia is a breath of fresh air. Ms. Feehan writes her so well, that while reading, I felt better with her on the scene. Cole, Mia and Jase have a three-way connection. Unable to be a Christine Feehan book and not have a paranormal element, the touch of paranormal in this story was surprising and therefore enriched this book even more. Also being a Christine Feehan story there is a love that transcends logic and a passion that is will leave readers fanning themselves. Bravo to Ms. Feehan. Rocky Mountain Miracle is a truly remarkable story! 5 Angels!

Reviewed by: Jaymi