At the age of nineteen, Jessie eloped with Walt, a ranch hand she had met on the ranch of her mother's best friends, the Driscolls, in Montana. It took Jessie only three months into her marriage to learn the reason Walt had responded to her advances. Alone with her, his true nature surfaced. Right to her face, he told Jessie the real reason he'd married her, and how sick he was of her cloying, adolescent affection. Hurt and disillusioned, Jessie's rose-colored glasses shattered. But reality wasn't finished with her. She woke in the morning to find Walt missing. On his side of the bed, a two-sentence note. "I'm gone. Don't look for me." All the same, for two years she waited, with never a word, until one afternoon, the Driscolls brought her authenticated documents, proving that when he married her, Walt had a wife and two children under another name. Indoctrinated since childhood in fairytales with happy endings, her spirit, her view of life and the pursuit of happiness, severely scarred, especially regarding the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. She swore off any future relationships, and turned her nose up at the need for a Prince Charming. Cinderella Ice. Like the Snow Queen. Jessie made up her mind. Yes, that's what I'll be from this day forth - Cinderella Ice." Excerpt: "Have you returned home to stay?" Michael asked. ... "For the time being. I need to re-define myself," Jessie said. "Where do I fit in? What is my goal in life? What do I hope to accomplish? How do I clear up the mess I've made of my life so far?" "That's a lot of riddles for a broken heart to solve. A lot of weight for a wounded spirit to carry," Michael said. "Maybe you should do what they advise swimmers who have overexerted themselves - Just float for a while." Just float for a while. Michael's words resonated with her unhappiness, along with his concerned attitude and his smile. She had always liked his smile, even when he wasn't as attractive in his teens, or as well dressed. The executive style suited him to a tee. Cinderella Ice frowned. Jessie reminded herself that although Michael wasn't a blood relation, he'd always been considered family, because of the strong friendship between their respective families. He was in the loop, as her elder sister Carol was used to say. "Just float for a while. Sound advice, Michael, that I'll take to heart. Thank you." His smile widened, and Jessie had to look away. Yes, definitely handsomer than she remembered him.
