Winter of Summers Read online

  Yet for all the physical intimacy, we were still mysteries to each other. I had tried not to bore Rachel with the nitty gritty of my doomed relationship, and she was always reluctant to talk about her past. When I did once ask her about her husband, she quickly shut me down with a frosty glare and screamed, “You don’t need to know, just leave it at that!” So I kept things simple, lighthearted, and wonderfully superficial.

  —

  One Friday morning I did the unforgivable. While Rachel was outside ice fishing on the lake, I took a quick peek through the pile of pages she had written. Nervously peering out of the frosty window every so often, just in case I would be caught in the act. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but curiosity got the better of my decency.

  There was one particular piece that jumped out at me.

  Revenge

  Did you feel the blade?

  cold metal slicing

  through butter skin,

  your blood—

  the color of strawberry jam,

  sticky upon my fingers.

  The gurgling opera of death—

  such sweet notes

  played on a red stage,

  soft murmurings

  of a cheating heart,

  slowly stilled to silence,

  a throat cut,

  eyes rolling backward.

  To think I loved you once—

  my dearest dead husband,

  never to rest in peace,

  and when you burn

  in the fires of Hell,

  think of me—

  the girl whose life

  you took first.

  While I read the lines for a second time, little did I know just how quickly a dark serendipity would change everything in an instant.

  The distant wailing of police sirens made my body jolt upright, the page falling out of my hands. My head spun back to the window. I could see the silhouette of Rachel getting out of her chair and standing up on the blanket of icy white.

  I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck. My heart sinking as I raced out the front door and ran toward the lake. A couple of police cars skidded to a halt near me. I heard the noise of an ice drill starting up.

  As I got closer to Rachel, I could see what she was doing. Her arms vibrating as she frantically cut away at the hole in the ice, making it wider.

  “Rachel!” I screamed, a large cloud of breath exploding from my lips.

  Rachel dropped the drill and stared in my direction. A quiet smile breaking across her rosy cheeks. Behind me I could hear voices yelling. I turned around and saw the police coming, guns drawn, and a barking dog tugging at its leash, held by the old man who had rented us the place.

  I looked back at Rachel, panic surging through me, only to be met again by that serene smile.

  “I’ll never forget you.” Her words reaching me before I could wrap my arms around her.

  In a matter of seconds she was gone. Not even a splash of water to mark her descent into the hole, as she plunged feet first under the lake.

  To be lost forever.

  —

  How can I forget the warmth of your body, the love that burned brightly within our hearts? You were my winter of summers.

  Thank You

  As the curtain falls on Winter of Summers and my words slip away into the shadows, I bid you a fond farewell.

  For me, it’s the saddest part of writing a book.

  I know many of you like to read my books more than once. Which gives me some small comfort. Knowing we will find each other once more, somewhere within these pages.

  If the stars collide, and I get really lucky, perhaps we’ll meet up again in one of my other books.

  Dirty Pretty Things, Bitter Sweet Love, or even Smoke & Mirrors.

  Until then, please don’t be a stranger. Let’s stay in touch on my official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. I’d love to know which poems, pieces of prose, or short stories resonated with you.

  Thank you for your wonderful support.

  It means everything to me.

  Love always,

  —Michael x

  Acknowledgments

  A big thank you to my literary agent, Al Zuckerman, for everything you do for me. I had such a wonderful time with you and Claire in Sydney. I can’t wait to catch up again in New York! Many thanks to Samantha Wekstein too, and all the team at Writers House, New York.

  Thank you so much, Kirsty Melville, Patty Rice, and everyone at Andrews McMeel, for all your enthusiasm, hard work, and for bringing a Winter of Summers into the world. Kirsty, I will always remember that beautiful lunch we had at Balmoral Beach. I look forward to the next one and hope Patty will be there to help us finish another bottle of stunning wine.

  Tinca Veerman, you have so many amazing artworks, choosing just one is an almost impossible task. This is our fourth book cover together and I love it. Thank you, as always.

  To Oliver, my son who is now taller than me, (yes, I finally admit it), I love you so much. Not a day goes by without me thinking of you and just how proud I am to be your Dad.

  Mum and Dad, nothing makes me happier than when we are all sitting around the one table. Thanks for making your last trip to New Zealand so memorable. Especially our lunch at Café Hanoi.

  To my grandmother, Doris, who passed away this year, you will always live on in my heart and in this book.

  To Genevieve, who is always there for me, thank you for being you. I had such a great time with you and Ryder in Auckland. Hurry up and come back.

  Thank you to all my friends, you know who you are.

  And to all my lovely readers, I can’t thank you enough.

  About the Author

  Michael Faudet is the author of the international bestsellers Dirty Pretty Things, Bitter Sweet Love, and Smoke & Mirrors. His books have been nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry. Dirty Pretty Things was also selected by Sylvia Whitman, the owner of the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, as one of her personal favorite books of 2016.

  He frequently explores the intricacies of love, loss, relationships, and sex in poetry, prose, and short stories. His lyrical and often sensual writing continues to attract readers from all around the world.

  Before turning his hand to writing books, Michael enjoyed a successful career in advertising as an award-winning executive creative director. He managed creative departments and developed advertising campaigns for major brands in many countries.

  Michael is represented by the literary agency Writers House, New York. He currently lives in New Zealand in a little house by the sea with girlfriend and author Lang Leav.

  INDEX

  Introduction

  About the Author

  Ace of Hearts

  Acknowledgments

  A Dream

  Alchemy

  A Lighthouse in a Storm

  All About You

  Alone Again

  A Love This Strong

  Always You

  A New Beginning

  A Perfect World

  A Quick Kiss

  Arabian Dawn

  A Single Kiss

  A Summer Gone

  A Summer Story

  A Tired Butterfly

  A Withered Heart

  A World of Pretend

  Bliss

  Blue Skies

  Books

  Broken Umbrella

  Burnt Letters

  Carousel

  Change

  Closer

  Coffee with the Ex

  Collaboration

  Consequences

  Crown of Thorns

  Denial

  Empty Words

  Five Seconds

&nb
sp; Friday Epiphany

  Haters

  How It Feels

  Ignorance

  I Miss You

  INDEX

  In Letters Sent

  In the Blink of an Eye

  Into Depths

  Introduction

  In Your Arms

  Isolation

  It’s My Life

  I’ve Tried to Forget You

  I Was Wrong

  Just Another Word

  Just for Now

  Just One More Day

  Just When

  Just You

  Little Did I Know

  Live Your Life

  Love on Mute

  Melting Ice Cream

  My Grandmother

  My Sunday Muse

  No More Wishes

  Please Stay

  Respect

  Restless

  Run

  Sharjah

  Sleeping Beauty

  Striptease

  Summer

  Sunshine Girl

  Sweet Corruption

  Sweet Nothings

  Take Not

  Thank You

  The Birthday Party

  The Break Up

  The Cult of Two

  The Final Chapter

  The First Time We Met

  The Language of Flowers

  The Passing of Years

  The Real You

  The Silence

  The Wedding Present

  Tokoriki

  Trigger Warning

  Truth or Dare?

  Turned On

  We Held Nothing Back

  Welcome Home

  We Sipped

  When I First Saw You

  When the Dark Clouds Came

  When You Left

  Who Am I?

  Winter of Summers

  Wisdom

  You

  You Are Beautiful

  You Came into My Life

  Your Voice

  Winter of summers

  copyright © 2018 by Michael Faudet. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

  Andrews McMeel Publishing

  a division of Andrews McMeel Universal

  1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

  www.andrewsmcmeel.com

  www.michaelfaudet.com

  ISBN: 978-1-5248-5136-1

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018954751

  Cover art by Tinca Veerman

  www.tincaveerman.com

  Editor: Patty Rice

  Designer, Art Director: Julie Barnes

  Production Editor: David Shaw

  Production Manager: Cliff Koehler

  Digital Production: Kristen Minter

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