Coming Home For Christmas
by RaeAnne Thayne
Title: Coming Home For Christmas
Series: Haven Point
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: Harlequin Books (HQN)
Release Date: 24th September 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
Hearts are lighter and wishes burn a little brighter at Christmas…
Elizabeth Hamilton has been lost. Trapped in a tangle of postpartum depression and grief after the death of her beloved parents, she couldn’t quite see the way back to her husband and their two beautiful kids…until a car accident stole away her memories and changed her life. And when she finally remembered the sound of little Cassie’s laugh, the baby powder smell of Bridger and the feel of her husband’s hand in hers, Elizabeth worried that they’d moved on without her. That she’d missed too much. That perhaps she wasn’t the right mother for her kids or wife for Luke, no matter how much she loved them.
But now, seven years later, Luke finds her in a nearby town and brings Elizabeth back home to the family she loves, just in time for Christmas. And being reunited with Luke and her children is better than anything Elizabeth could have imagined. As they all trim the tree and bake cookies, making new holiday memories, Elizabeth and Luke are drawn ever closer. Can the hurt of the past seven years be healed over the course of one Christmas season and bring the Hamiltons the gift of a new beginning?
Elizabeth Hamilton has been lost. Trapped in a tangle of postpartum depression and grief after the death of her beloved parents, she couldn’t quite see the way back to her husband and their two beautiful kids…until a car accident stole away her memories and changed her life. And when she finally remembered the sound of little Cassie’s laugh, the baby powder smell of Bridger and the feel of her husband’s hand in hers, Elizabeth worried that they’d moved on without her. That she’d missed too much. That perhaps she wasn’t the right mother for her kids or wife for Luke, no matter how much she loved them.
But now, seven years later, Luke finds her in a nearby town and brings Elizabeth back home to the family she loves, just in time for Christmas. And being reunited with Luke and her children is better than anything Elizabeth could have imagined. As they all trim the tree and bake cookies, making new holiday memories, Elizabeth and Luke are drawn ever closer. Can the hurt of the past seven years be healed over the course of one Christmas season and bring the Hamiltons the gift of a new beginning?
Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the
beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books
have won numerous honors, including six RITA Award nominations from Romance
Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer awards from RT
Book Reviews.
She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her
website at www.raeannethayne.com.
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter: @raeannethayne
Facebook: @AuthorRaeAnneThayne
Instagram: @jensnowauthor
EXCERPT
Chapter One
This was it.
Luke Hamilton waited outside the big,
rambling Victorian house in a little coastal town in Oregon, hands shoved into
the pockets of his coat against the wet slap of air and nerves churning through
him.
Elizabeth was here. After all the
years when he had been certain she was dead—that she had wandered into the mountains
somewhere that cold day seven years earlier or she had somehow walked into the
deep, unforgiving waters of Lake Haven—he was going to see her again.
Though he had been given months to
wrap his head around the idea that his wife wasn’t dead, that she was indeed
living under another name in this town by the sea, it still didn’t seem real.
How was he supposed to feel in this
moment? He had no idea. He only knew he was filled with a crazy mix of anticipation,
fear and the low fury that had been simmering inside
him for months, since the moment FBI
agent Elliot Bailey had produced a piece of paper with a name and an address.
Luke still couldn’t quite believe she
was in there, the wife he had not seen in seven years. The wife who had
disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving plenty of people to speculate
that he had somehow hurt her, even killed her.
For all those days and months and
years, he had lived with the ghost of Elizabeth Sinclair and the love they had
once shared.
He was never nervous, damn it. So why
did his skin itch and his stomach seethe and his hands grip the cold metal of
the porch railing as if his suddenly weak knees would give way and make him
topple over if he let go?
A moment later, he sensed movement
inside the foyer of the house. The woman he had spoken with when he had first
pulled up to this address, the woman who had been hanging Christmas lights
around the big, charming home and who had looked at him with such suspicion and
had not invited him to wait inside, opened the door. One hand was thrust into
her coat pocket around a questionable-looking bulge.
She was either concealing a handgun or
a Taser or pepper spray. Since he had never met the woman before, Luke
couldn’t begin to guess which. Her features had lost none of that alert
wariness that told him she would do whatever necessary to protect Elizabeth.
He wanted to tell her he would never
hurt his wife, but it was a refrain he had grown tired of repeating. Over the
years, he had become inured to people’s opinions on the matter. Let them think
what the hell they wanted. He knew the truth.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
There was a long pause, like some
tension-filled moment just before the gunfight in Old West movies. He wouldn’t
have been surprised if tumbleweeds suddenly blew down the street.
Then, from behind the first woman,
another figure stepped out onto the porch, slim and blonde and…shockingly
familiar.
He stared, stunned to his bones. It
was her. Not Elizabeth. Her. He had seen this woman around his small
Idaho town of Haven Point several times over the last few years, fleeting
glimpses only out of the corner of his gaze at a baseball game or a school
program.
The mystery woman.
He assumed she had been there to watch
one of the other children. Maybe an aunt from out of town, someone he didn’t
know.
Luke had noticed her…and had hated the
tiny little glow of attraction that had sparked to life.
He hadn’t wanted to be aware of any
other woman. What was the point? For years, he thought his heart had died when
Elizabeth walked away. He figured everything good and right inside him had
shriveled up and he had nothing left to give another woman.
Despite his anger at himself for the
unwilling attraction to a woman he could never have, he had come to look
forward to those random glimpses of the beautiful mystery woman who wore
sunglasses and floppy hats, whose hair was a similar color to his wife’s but
whose features were very different.
For the first time since he had pulled
up to Brambleberry House, he began to wonder if he had been wrong. If Elliot
had been wrong, if his investigation had somehow gone horribly off track.
What if this wasn’t Elizabeth? What if
it was all some terrible mistake?
He didn’t know what to say, suddenly.
Did he tell them both he had erred, make some excuse and disappear? He was
about to do just that when he saw her eyes, a clear, startling blue with a
dark, almost black, ring around the irises.
He knew those eyes. It was her.
There was nervousness in them, yes,
but no surprise, almost as if she had been expecting him.
“Elizabeth.”
She flinched a little at the name. “No
one has…called me that in a very long time.”
Her voice was the second confirmation,
the same husky alto that had haunted his dreams every single night for seven
years.
The other woman stared at her. “Sonia.
What is going on? Who is this man? Why is he calling you Elizabeth?”
“It is…a really long story, Rosa.”
“He says he is your husband.”
“He was. A long time ago.”
The anger simmered hotter, flaring up
like a controlled burn that was trying to jump the ditch. He did his best to
tamp it down. He would not become his father, no matter the provocation.
“I’m still your husband. Nothing has
changed. Until we divorce or you are declared dead, we are very much still married
in the eyes of the law.”
Her mouth opened again, eyes shocked
as if she had never considered the possibility. Maybe as far as she was
concerned, her act of walking away without a word had terminated their
marriage.
It had in every way except the
official one.
“I…guess that’s probably true.”
“That’s why I’m here. I need you to
come back to Haven Point so we can end this thing once and for all.” He was unable
to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “It shouldn’t be that hard for you.
You know the way. Apparently you’ve been back to town plenty of times. You just
never bothered to stop and say hello to me or your two children.”
Her skin, already pale in the weak
December afternoon light, seemed to turn ashen, and Luke was immediately
ashamed at his cruelty. He tried to be better than that, to take the higher
ground in most situations. He was uncomfortably aware that this unwanted
reunion with his long-missing wife would likely bring out the worst in him.
The other woman looked shocked. “You
have children? I don’t understand any of this, Sonia.”
She winced. “It’s so complicated,
Rosa. I don’t know…where to start. I… My name isn’t Sonia, as you’ve
obviously…figured out. He is right. It is Elizabeth Hamilton, and this…this is
my husband, Lucas.”
The other woman was slow to absorb the
information, but after a shocked moment, her gaze narrowed and she moved
imperceptibly in front of Elizabeth, as if her slight frame could protect her
friend.
It was a familiar motion, one that
intensified his shame. How many times had he done the same thing, throwing his
body in front of his mother and then his stepmother? By the time he was big
enough and tough enough to make a difference, his father was dead and no
longer a threat.
“Are you afraid of this man?” Rosa
demanded. “Has he hurt you? I can call Chief Townsend. He would be here in a
moment.”
Elizabeth put a hand on the other
woman’s arm. It was clear they were close friends. The wild pendulum of Luke’s
emotions right now swung back to anger. Somehow she had managed to form
friendships with other people, to completely move on with her life, while he
had been suffocating for seven years under the weight of rumor and suspicion.
“It is fine, Rosa. Thank you. Please
don’t worry about me. I…I need to speak with…with my husband. We have…much to
discuss. Go on inside. I’ll talk to you later and…and try to explain.”
Rosa was clearly reluctant to leave.
She hovered on the porch, sending him mistrustful looks. He wanted to tell her
not to waste her energy. He’d spent years developing a thick skin when it came
to people suspecting him of being a monster.
“I’m here,” she said firmly. “I’ll
wait inside. You only have to call out. And Melissa is in her apartment as
well. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,”
Elizabeth assured her. “Luke won’t hurt me.”
“Don’t be so sure of that,” he
muttered, though it was a lie. Some might think him a monster but he suspected
Elizabeth knew he could never lay a hand on her.
First of all, it wasn’t in his nature.
Second, he had spent his entire life working toward self-mastery and iron
control—doing whatever necessary to avoid becoming his father.
After another moment, Rosa turned
around and slipped through the carved front door, reluctance apparent in every
line of her body. On some level, Luke supposed he should be grateful Elizabeth
had people willing to stand up and protect her.
“How did you…? How did you find me?”
He still didn’t know everything Elliot
had gone through to locate her. He knew the FBI agent had spent long hours
tracking down leads after a truck driver came forward years later to say that
on the night Elizabeth disappeared, the trucker thought she gave a woman
resembling Elizabeth’s description a ride to a truck stop in central Oregon.
Somehow from that slim piece of
information, Elliot had undergone an impressive investigation on his own time
and managed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. If not for Elliot, Luke
wouldn’t be here in front of this big oceanfront Victorian in Cannon Beach and
this familiar but not familiar woman.
Thinking about Elliot Bailey always
left him conflicted, too. He was grateful to the man but still found it weird
to think of his former best friend with Megan, Luke’s younger sister. After
several months, he was almost used to the idea of them being together.
“I didn’t.” He jerked his attention
back to the moment. “Elliot Bailey did. That’s not really important, is it? The
point is, now I know where you are. But then, I guess you were never really
lost, were you? We only thought you were. You’ve certainly been back to Haven
Point in your little disguise plenty of times over the years.”
It burned him, knowing he hadn’t
recognized his own wife. When he looked closer now, knowing what he did, he
could see more hints of the woman he had loved. The brows were the same, arched
and delicate, and her lips were still full and lush. But her face was more
narrow, her nose completely different and her cheekbones higher and more
defined.
Why had she undergone so much plastic
surgery? It was one more mystery amid dozens.
“What do you want, Luke?”
“I told you. I need you to come home.
At this moment, the Lake Haven County district attorney’s office is preparing
to file charges against me related to your disappearance and apparent murder.”
“My what?”
“Elliot has tried to convince the
woman you’re still very much alive. He hasn’t had much luck, especially
considering he’s all but a member of the family and will be marrying my sister
in a few months. The DA plans to move forward and arrest me in hopes of forcing
me to tell them where I hid your body.”
“Wait—what? Elliot and Megan are
together? When did that happen?”
He barely refrained from grinding his
teeth. “Not really the point, is it? This has gone on long enough. I’m going to
be arrested, Elizabeth. Before the holidays, if my sources are right. The
district attorney is determined to send a message that men in her jurisdiction
can’t get away with making their wives disappear. I’m going to go to jail, at
least for a while. Our children have already spent enough Christmases without one
parent. Do you want them to lose the other one?”
“Of course not.”
He didn’t know whether to believe her
or not. How could he? He didn’t even know this woman, despite the fact that she
had once been closer to him than anyone else on earth.
“Then grab your things and let’s go.”
Excerpted
from Coming Home for Christmas by
RaeAnn Thayne. Copyright © 2019 by RaeAnn Thayne.
Published by HQN Books.
A Wedding In December
by Sarah Morgan
Title: A Wedding In December
Author: Sarah Morgan
Publisher: Harlequin Books (HQN)
Release Date: 31st October 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.
Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…
Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!
Goodreads Link
In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.
Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…
Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!
Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today
bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy, contemporary
romance and
women’s fiction, and her trademark humor and sensuality have gained her fans
across the
globe. Described as “a magician with words” by RT Book Reviews, she has sold
more than eleven million copies of her books. She was nominated three years in
succession for the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America
and won the award three times: once in 2012 for Doukakis’s Apprentice, in 2013
for A Night of No Return and in 2017 for Miracle on 5 th Avenue. She also won
the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in
their Top Pick slot. As a child, Sarah dreamed of being a writer, and although
she took a few interesting detours along the way, she is now living that dream.
Sarah lives near London, England, with her husband and children, and when she
isn’t reading or writing, she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so
she can forget the house needs tidying.
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter: @SarahMorgan_
Facebook: @AuthorSarahMorgan
Instagram: @SarahMorganWrites
EXCERPT
From Chapter One
Maggie
When her phone rang at three in the morning,
ripping her from a desperately needed sleep, Maggie’s first thought was bad
news.
Her mind raced through the possibilities, starting with the
worst-case scenario. Death, or at least life-changing injury. Police.
Ambulances.
Heart pounding, brain foggy, she grabbed her phone from the summit
of her teetering pile of books. The name on the screen offered no reassurance.
Trouble stalked her youngest daughter.
“Rosie?” She fumbled for the light and sat up. The book she’d
fallen asleep reading thudded to the floor, scattering the pile of Christmas
cards she’d started to write the night before. She’d chosen a winter scene of
snow-laden trees. They hadn’t had a flake of snow in the village on Christmas
Day for close to a decade. They often joked that it was a good thing their
last name was White because it was the only way they were ever going to have a
White Christmas.
She snuggled under the blanket with the phone. “Has something
happened?” The physical distance between her and Rosie made her feel frustrated
and helpless.
Everyone said global travel made the world smaller, but it didn’t
seem smaller to Maggie. Why couldn’t her daughter have continued her studies
closer to home? Oxford, with its famous spires and ancient colleges, was only a
few miles away. Rosie had done her undergraduate degree there, followed by a
master’s. Maggie had loved having her close by. They’d taken sunlit strolls
along cobbled streets, past ancient honey-colored buildings and through
Christchurch Meadows, golden with daffodils. They’d followed the slow meander
of the river and cheered on the rowing crews. Maggie had hoped, privately,
that her daughter might stay close by, but after Rosie had graduated she’d been
offered a place in a US doctoral program, complete with full funding.
Can you believe it, Mum? The day she’d had the news she’d
danced across the living room, hair flying around her face, twirling until she
was dizzy and Maggie was dizzy watching her. Are you proud of me?
Maggie had been proud and dismayed in equal measure, although
she’d hidden the dismayed part of course. That was what you did when you were a
parent.
Even she could see it was too good an opportunity to turn down,
but still a small part of her had wished Rosie had turned it down. That
transatlantic flight from the nest left Maggie with email, Skype and social
media, none of which felt entirely satisfactory. Even less so in the middle of
the night. Had Rosie only been gone for four months? It felt like a lifetime
since they’d delivered her to the airport on that sweltering summer’s day.
“Is it your asthma? Are you in hospital?” What could she do if
Rosie was in the hospital? Nothing. Anxiety was a constant companion,
never more so than now.
If it had been her eldest daughter, Katie, who had moved to a
different country she might have felt more relaxed. Katie was reliable and
sensible, but Rosie? Rosie had always been impulsive and adventurous.
“I’m not in hospital. Don’t fuss!”
Only now did Maggie hear the noise in the background. Cheering,
whooping.
“Do you have your inhaler with you? You sound breathless.” The
sound woke the memories. Rosie, eyes bulging, lips stained blue. The whistling
sound as air struggled to squeeze through narrowed airways. Maggie making
emergency calls with hands that shook almost too hard to hold the phone, the
terror raw and brutal although she kept that hidden from her child. Calm, she’d
learned, was important even if it was faked.
Even when Rosie had moved from child to adult there had been no
reprieve.
Some children grew out of asthma. Not Rosie.
There had been a couple of occasions when Rosie was in college
when she’d gone to parties without her inhaler. A few hours of dancing later
and she’d been rushed to the emergency department. That had been a 3:00 a.m.
phone call, too, and Maggie had raced through the night to be by her side.
Those were the episodes Maggie knew about. She was sure there were plenty more
that Rosie had kept to herself.
“I’m breathless because I’m excited. I’m twenty-two, Mum. When are
you going to stop worrying?”
“That would be never. Your child is always your child, no matter
how many candles are on the birthday cake. Where are you?”
“I’m with Dan’s family in Aspen for Thanksgiving, and I have
news.” She broke off and Maggie heard the clink of glasses and Rosie’s
infectious laugh. It was impossible to hear that laugh and not want to smile,
too. The sound contrasted with the silence of Maggie’s bedroom.
A waft of cold air chilled her skin and she stood up and grabbed
her robe from the back of the chair. Honeysuckle Cottage looked idyllic from
the outside, but it was impossibly drafty. The ventilation was a relief in
August but froze you to the bone in November. She really needed to do something
about the insulation before she even thought about selling the place. Historic
charm, climbing roses and a view of the village green couldn’t compensate for
frostbite.
Or maybe it wasn’t the house that was cold. Maybe it was her.
Knocked flat by a wave of sadness and she struggled to right
herself.
“What’s happening? What news? It sounds like you’re having a
party.”
“Dan proposed. Literally out of the blue. We were taking it
in turns to say what we’re thankful for and when it was his turn he gave me a
funny look and then he got down on one knee and—Mum, we’re getting married.”
Maggie sat down hard on the edge of the bed, the freezing air
forgotten. “Married? But you and Dan have only been together for a few weeks—”
“Eleven weeks, four days, six hours and fifteen minutes—oh wait,
now it’s sixteen, I mean seventeen—” She was laughing, and Maggie tried to
laugh with her.
How should she handle this? “That’s not very long, sweetheart.”
But completely in character for Rosie, who bounced from one impulse to another,
powered by enthusiasm.
“It feels so right, I can’t even tell you. And you’ll understand
because it was like that for you and Dad.”
Maggie stared at the damp patch on the wall.
Tell her the truth.
Her mouth moved but she couldn’t push the words out. This was the
wrong time. She should have done it months ago, but she’d been too much of a
coward.
And now it was too late. She didn’t want to be the slayer of happy
moments.
She couldn’t even say you’re too young, because she’d been
the same age when she’d had Katie. Which basically made her a hypocrite. Or did
it make her someone with experience?
“You just started your postgrad—”
“I’m not giving it up. I can be married and study. Plenty do it.”
Maggie couldn’t argue with that. “I’m happy for you.” Did she
sound happy? She tried harder. “Woohoo!”
She’d thought she’d white-knuckled her way through all the
toughest parts of parenting, but it turned out there were still some surprises
waiting for her. Rosie wasn’t a child anymore. She had to be allowed to make
her own decisions. And her own mistakes.
Rosie was talking again. “I know it’s all a bit fast, but you’re
going to love Dan as much as I do. You said you thought he was great when you
spoke to him.”
But speaking to someone on a video call wasn’t the same as meeting
them in person, was it?
Maggie swallowed down all the words of warning that rose up inside
her. She was not going to turn into her own mother and send clouds to
darken every bright moment. “He seemed charming, and I’m thrilled for you. If I
don’t sound it, it’s because it’s the middle of the night here, and you know
what I’m like when I’ve just woken up. When I saw your name pop up on the
screen, I was worried it was your asthma.”
“Haven’t had an attack in ages. I’m sorry I woke you, but I wanted
to share my news.”
“I’m glad you woke me. Tell me everything.” She closed her eyes
and tried to pretend her daughter was in the room with her, and not thousands
of miles away.
There was no reason to panic. It was an engagement, that was all.
There was plenty of time for them to decide if this was the right thing for
them. “We’ll have a big celebration when you and your sister are here for
Christmas. Would Dan like to join us? I can’t wait to meet him. Maybe we’ll
throw a party. Invite the Baxters, and all your friends from college and
school.” Planning lifted Maggie’s mood. Christmas was her favorite time of
year, the one occasion the whole family gathered together. Even Katie, with her
busy life as a doctor, usually managed to beg and barter a few days at
Christmas in exchange for covering the busy New Year shift. Maggie was looking
forward to spending time with her. She had a niggling suspicion her eldest
daughter was avoiding her. Every time Maggie suggested meeting up, Katie made
an excuse, which was unlike her because she rarely refused a free lunch.
Christmas would give her a chance to dig a little deeper.
In her opinion, Oxford was the perfect place to spend the festive
season. True, there was unlikely to be snow, but what was better than a
postlunch walk listening to the peal of bells on a crisp, cold winter’s day?
It promised to be perfect, apart from one complication.
Nick.
Maggie still hadn’t figured out how she was going to handle that
side of things.
Maybe an engagement was exactly what they needed to shift the
focus of attention.
“Christmas is one of the things I need to talk to you about.”
Rosie sounded hesitant. “I planned to come home, but since Dan proposed—well,
we don’t see the point in waiting. We’ve chosen the day. We’re getting married
on Christmas Eve.”
Maggie frowned. “You mean next year?”
“No, this year.”
She counted the days and her brain almost exploded. “You want to
get married in less than four weeks? To a man you barely know?” Rosie had
always been impulsive, but this wasn’t a soft toy that would be abandoned after
a few days, or a dress that would turn out to be not quite the right color.
Marriage wasn’t something that could be rectified with a refund. There was no
reason for haste, unless—“Sweetie—”
“I know what you’re thinking, and it isn’t that. I’m not pregnant!
We’re getting married because we’re in love. I adore him. I’ve never felt this
way about anyone before.”
You barely know him.
Maggie shifted, uncomfortably aware that knowing someone well
didn’t inoculate you against problems.
“I’m excited for you!” Turned out she could fake excitement as
convincingly as she could fake calm.
Excerpted
from A Wedding in December by Sarah
Morgan. Copyright © 2019 by Sarah Morgan. Published by HQN Books.
An Alaskan Christmas
by Jennifer Snow
Title: An Alaskan Christmas
Series: Wild River
Series: Wild River
Author: Jennifer Snow
Publisher: Harlequin Books (HQN)
Release Date: 24th September 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
In Alaska, it’s always a white Christmas—but the sparks flying between two reunited friends could turn it red-hot…
If there’s one gift Erika Sheraton does not want for Christmas, it’s a vacation. Ordered to take time off, the workaholic surgeon reluctantly trades in her scrubs for a ski suit and heads to Wild River, Alaska. Her friend Cassie owns a tour company that offers adventures to fit every visitor. But nothing compares to the adrenaline rush Erika feels on being reunited with Cassie’s brother, Reed Reynolds.
Gone is the buttoned-up girl Reed remembers. His sister’s best friend has blossomed into a strong, skilled, confident woman. She’s exactly what his search-and-rescue team needs—and everything he didn’t know he craved. The gulf between his life in Wild River and her big-city career is wide. But it’s no match for a desire powerful enough to melt two stubborn hearts…
If there’s one gift Erika Sheraton does not want for Christmas, it’s a vacation. Ordered to take time off, the workaholic surgeon reluctantly trades in her scrubs for a ski suit and heads to Wild River, Alaska. Her friend Cassie owns a tour company that offers adventures to fit every visitor. But nothing compares to the adrenaline rush Erika feels on being reunited with Cassie’s brother, Reed Reynolds.
Gone is the buttoned-up girl Reed remembers. His sister’s best friend has blossomed into a strong, skilled, confident woman. She’s exactly what his search-and-rescue team needs—and everything he didn’t know he craved. The gulf between his life in Wild River and her big-city career is wide. But it’s no match for a desire powerful enough to melt two stubborn hearts…
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Snow lives in
Edmonton, Alberta with her husband and four year old son. She is a member of
the RWA, the Alberta Writers Guild, Canadian Authors Association and
SheWrites.org. Her first Brookhollow book was a finalist in the Heart of Denver
Aspen Gold contest and the Golden Quill Award.
More information can be found at
www.jennifersnowauthor.com.
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter: @JenniferSnow18
Facebook: @jennifersnowbooks
Instagram: @jensnowauthor
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
Her arms full of patient files, Dr. Erika Sheraton tipped her head
back as Darren, her premed intern, poured a double shot of espresso down her
throat. The hot liquid delivered the instant adrenaline boost she needed to get
through the rest of her fourteen-hour shift.
Dinner? A quick glance at the clock on the wall above the nurses’
triage station revealed it was almost nine. A late dinner.
“How are you not vibrating? That’s your third in two hours.”
Darren crumpled the paper cup and tossed it into a recycle bin as they walked.
“Caffeine stopped affecting me a long time ago. Now’s it’s about
the taste,” she said, only half kidding. Double course loads and all-nighters
in college and then med school had prepared her for the long hours she put in
now as a general surgeon and caffeine had been her best friend.
The twentysomething looked like he could use a cup himself, as he
stifled a yawn. His sandy blond hair poked up in the back as though he’d
crawled out of bed at the last possible minute and his hazel eyes were
bloodshot. If he was tired now after only eight hours on shift, he’d be
reconsidering this particular profession by midnight. The staff at Alaska
General Hospital never rested. The revolving doors at emergency constantly
rotated with broken bones, heart attacks and bleeding patients filing in. No
day was ever the same. Unpredictability kept Erika alert and on her toes.
“After these rounds, I’m going to need you to check in on Mr.
Franklin—he’s in recovery. His family is wondering when they can see him.” The
man’s entire extended family was camped out in the surgical ward waiting
room—fifteen or sixteen of them at least. They couldn’t see the man, but they
all refused to leave. Each one took turns driving the nurses on duty crazy. “Make
sure they know only immediate family can go in. He needs his rest.”
Darren nodded, but a look of hesitation appeared behind his
dark-rimmed glasses.
“What?” She checked her watch.
“I just… Well, shouldn’t you talk to them? I know his wife wanted
to thank you…”
Erika shook her head. “Keeping him on the low-cholesterol,
low-sodium diet I’ve prescribed—and off my operating table—will be thanks
enough,” she said, scanning the top folder on her stack.
“Okay, but…”
She shot him a look.
“No problem. I’ll check in on him.”
“Thank you.” She continued down the hall toward the next
high-priority patient.
“Don’t forget, your dad still wants to see you,” Darren said,
struggling to keep up to her half sprint.
“I know.” And she could do without the hourly reminders. Her
father rarely requested her presence during her rounds, so whatever it was
wouldn’t be good. If she put him off long enough, maybe he’d forget.
“Top chart—Mr. Grayson.
He’s scheduled for an appendectomy in a few hours,” she said, approaching the
man’s hospital room.
Darren nodded as he smiled. “This old guy is hilarious. Did you
know he was a stunt motorcycle driver in the circus in the ’80s?”
“No.” She knew he had an inflamed appendix and had waited far too
long to come in. She knew his vitals and that in an hour, they’d be prepping
him for surgery. Knowing personal details of a patient’s life didn’t make her
job any easier or guarantee a better outcome. She juggled the files on one arm
as she reached into her pocket for a new set of sterile gloves.
“Hey, before we go in there, can I talk to you?” Darren asked,
stopping her outside the room. He stared at the checked patterned floor tiles.
Damn. “You’re requesting a transfer to a different physician.” He
wasn’t the first medical student who’d gotten reassigned. She’d made it a month
with Darren—a new record.
Another intern bites the dust.
He nodded, obviously relieved that he hadn’t had to vocalize it
himself. “You’re amazing, Dr. Sheraton, and I feel so fortunate for the
opportunity to work with you, but you’re also very busy and unavailable…”
The sharp sting of the words was familiar. She’d heard the same
speech from interns and boyfriends alike. She’d successfully eliminated the
problem in one group right after her first year of residency…interns were
hospital assigned and therefore out of her control.
“I mean I just need all the training I can get and between
patients and your research work…”
She didn’t need an explanation. She was busy. Too busy to have
someone following her around in fact. This was totally fine with her. “I
understand.”
“You’re not upset?”
“Only about having to get my own coffee from now on,” she said.
The joke missed its mark and the intern’s eyes widened. “I can
still do that…”
Wow, was she really that scary? She was demanding and expected
the students to put in the hours she did. She may not be the friendliest doctor
on staff, socializing after work and remembering birthdays and such, but she
gave these interns a real picture of their future in medicine. Wasn’t that what
they were there for? “I was kidding, Darren.”
“Oh…right.”
“Dr. Sheraton, please report to emergency. Stat.”
The call over the hospital intercom had her handing Darren the
stack of folders. “Please take his heart rate and blood pressure,” she said,
practically running to the elevators. “And don’t forget Mr. Franklin.”
“Got it,” he called after her.
The quiet twenty-six-second elevator ride to the first floor was
the closest thing she got to a spa day. It was the only time she was forced to
slow to a pace other than her own usual breakneck speed. But even that half a
minute was too long. It gave her time to think. Think about her previous
surgeries and replay the details—what went right, what went wrong, what she
could do better next time. Constantly reevaluating herself made her a better
surgeon, but too often it left her feeling like she was coming up slightly
short of her potential. Her type A personality left little room for failure or
complacency.
Checking her phone in her lab coat pocket, she scanned her
schedule for the rest of the evening, evaluating what she could push back if
this emergency demanded her immediate attention. The number of things marked urgent
made her will the elevator to move quicker. She’d be lucky to get out of
there by 2:00 a.m.
A text popped up from Darren.
If you change your mind about Mrs.
Franklin…
She wouldn’t. She ignored the text from her intern—former
intern—and put the phone away.
As the elevator stopped, she took a deep breath, expecting to see
a flurry of organized chaos as the doors opened. Stretchers, ambulance lights
flashing and sirens wailing outside, paramedics and nurses… Instead, she ran
square into her father.
No emergency, just his six-foot-three frame and his usual neutral
expression. It was impossible to read her father, as his face gave nothing
away. His emotions were never too high or too low, just infuriatingly balanced
no matter the circumstance. His calm presence and rational thinking made him
fantastic at his profession, but sometimes he was irritating as shit as a
father.
“Hi. I was just coming to see you.” Eventually.
“Walk with me,” he said, turning on his heel and nodding.
Her jaw clenched so tight her teeth might snap. This was so like
him—assuming she could drop everything at his command. He may run the hospital,
but he often had no idea how hectic her schedule was. “Can we talk as I do my
rounds, Darren is…”
“More than capable,” he said, leading the way to his first-floor
corner office. “And requesting to be transferred, I see.”
His tone made her palms sweat. He should be happy that she was
pushing these interns to their limits. What awaited them once they graduated
wasn’t for the faint of heart. Better to get used to grueling days and nights
now, performing on little to no sleep, living on caffeine and leftover
Halloween chocolate bars, than to realize they couldn’t cut it when lives were
in their hands.
Unfortunately, he didn’t always agree with her beliefs . He
wanted the interns to feel at home at Alaska General so they’d apply here once
they graduated. The hospital was short staffed and more doctors would benefit
everyone, but Erika preferred to work alongside the best.
Her father had an open-door policy—literally—so when he closed the
office door behind her, she knew the head of General Surgery hadn’t called her
in to discuss Thanksgiving dinner plans.
She glanced at his wall calendar as she sat. Especially since
Thanksgiving was a week ago.
“Dad, this intern thing is just ridiculous…”
He held up a hand. “This isn’t about your inability to effectively
manage others.”
Kick to the gut delivered and received. She clamped her lips
together.
He opened his desk drawer and handed her a letter as he sat in the
plush, leather chair behind his oversize mahogany desk.
Her eyes widened, seeing the Hospital Foundation logo on the top
of the page. “Is this the final approval from the board for the clinical
trials?” They’d submitted the application six months ago to start trials on a
new antirejection drug after years of research, and they were waiting on the
formal go-ahead to start with a test group.
Would Darren reconsider staying with her if he knew he could be
part of a medical breakthrough? He’d been a lot of help in the past month.
“Just read it,” her father said.
She scanned the letter from the board of directors, feeling her
excitement fade and anxiety rise with each word. “Recommended vacation? What is
this?”
“I don’t like it either, but the board is reviewing policies and
making sure we are following them,” he said, the edge indicating he’d been
outvoted in this decision. He certainly didn’t believe in time off and had
never encouraged her to take any. Her life was her career, just like him.
“But any day now we will be starting clinical trials on the new
drug.” It had taken her father and his team almost three years to get the
experimental antirejection product approved for testing on organ transplant
patients and they’d finally gotten it. They’d worked around the clock for a
year to make sure they did. Subjects were undergoing assessment right now to be
ready for the trials.
Now was not the time to take a break.
Her father looked as though he’d made the same argument to the
hospital board. “The team will have to handle it.”
So recommended actually meant forced. “Why now? I’m
fine. I don’t need a break.” At twenty-nine, she was eager to prove herself as
one of the top general surgeons in the state. Between her surgical success
record and the research time she’d invested in this new drug, she was close.
Helping her father get one step closer to winning the Lister Medal was high on
her priority list. “Come on, Dad, you know I’m good. My last two operations
were impossible surgeries…”
“Improbable surgeries.”
Erika clamped her lips together again, forcing her argument to
stay put. It wouldn’t do any good. Three years working alongside her father and
she’d yet to prove herself. Despite two back-to-back improbable surgeries
that she’d performed successfully, he still doubted her abilities. His
micromanagement over her research team had driven her insane, but he’d reluctantly
agreed to let her run her own set of clinical trials on the antirejection drug,
and she’d foolishly believed she was making progress with him.
Now she was being forced into taking a break.
What the hell was a break? She hadn’t had one since
starting university. She’d graduated with her bachelor’s in three years instead
of four by doubling up on courses and then had applied directly to med school.
She’d interned at Alaska General and secured a position there shortly after graduation.
She couldn’t remember the last day she had off, let alone…she glanced at the
letter. Two weeks?
What the hell would she do with all that free time?
Excerpted
from An Alaskan Christmas by Jennifer
Snow, Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Snow. Published by HQN Books.
Cowboy Christmas Redemption
by Maisey Yates
Title: Cowboy Christmas Redemption
Series: Gold Valley
Series: Gold Valley
Author: Maisey Yates
Publisher: Harlequin Books (HQN)
Release Date: 24th September 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
As snowflakes fall in Gold Valley, Oregon, will this rugged cowboy finally win the woman of his dreams?
Cowboy Caleb Dalton has loved single mom Ellie Bell, and her little daughter, Amelia, for years. But since Ellie is his best friend’s widow, Caleb’s head knows Ellie will always be strictly off-limits. If only his heart got the memo. So when Caleb discovers that Ellie has a Christmas wish list—and hopes for a kiss under the mistletoe—he’s throwing his cowboy hat into the ring. If anyone’s going to be kissing Ellie and sharing this magical time with her and her daughter, it’s him.
Ellie has dreaded the holidays since losing her husband. But this year, she’s finally ready to make some changes. She never expects the biggest change to be the heart-stopping kiss she shares with Caleb. For almost five years, Caleb has been her best friend, her rock, her salvation. This Christmas, can Caleb prove he’s also the missing puzzle piece of Ellie’s and Amelia’s hearts?
Goodreads Link
As snowflakes fall in Gold Valley, Oregon, will this rugged cowboy finally win the woman of his dreams?
Cowboy Caleb Dalton has loved single mom Ellie Bell, and her little daughter, Amelia, for years. But since Ellie is his best friend’s widow, Caleb’s head knows Ellie will always be strictly off-limits. If only his heart got the memo. So when Caleb discovers that Ellie has a Christmas wish list—and hopes for a kiss under the mistletoe—he’s throwing his cowboy hat into the ring. If anyone’s going to be kissing Ellie and sharing this magical time with her and her daughter, it’s him.
Ellie has dreaded the holidays since losing her husband. But this year, she’s finally ready to make some changes. She never expects the biggest change to be the heart-stopping kiss she shares with Caleb. For almost five years, Caleb has been her best friend, her rock, her salvation. This Christmas, can Caleb prove he’s also the missing puzzle piece of Ellie’s and Amelia’s hearts?
Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times Bestselling author
Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband,
whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels
the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker
is a true example of her pioneer spirit.
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter: @maiseyyates
Facebook:@MaiseyYates.Author
Instagram: @maiseyyates
EXCERPT
Caleb
Dalton hadn’t had much to smile about for a long time. It had been a bear of a
few years, since his best friend’s death, and while time might ease a wound, it
wouldn’t ever bring Clint back.
But that
permanence made space for movement, around the grief, around the pain. And
finally toward a future he’d been planning for a long time.
Clint
had been, honest to God, one of the best men on earth. The hole he’d left
behind had been huge, and Caleb had dedicated himself to caring for his
friend’s widow and child in his absence.
That
had been his life, his whole life, for nearly five years. And it was fair,
because it had been Ellie’s life, too.
He
cared for Ellie. A hell of a lot. He’d met her because of Clint, but she’d
been in his life now for more than ten years.
His
feelings for Ellie were complicated. Had been from the beginning. But she’d
been with Clint. And there was no doubt Clint was the better man. More than
that, Clint was his brother. Maybe not in blood, but in every way that counted.
Caleb
had never claimed to be a perfect friend. Clint was one of those people who’d
drawn everyone right to him. He was easy to like. Caleb’s own parents had been
bowled over by Clint from the time they were kids.
And
Caleb’s jealousy had gotten the better of him once when they’d been younger.
Something that made him burn with shame even now.
He
hadn’t let it happen when they’d been adults. No matter how tempting it had
been. No matter how much he’d…
A
muscle in his jaw ticked.
He
gave thanks that there was a space in front of the Gold Valley Saloon, and he
whipped his truck there up against the curb, ignoring the honk that came from
behind him.
He
turned around and saw Trevor Sanderson in his Chevy, giving Caleb the death
glare.
“Hold
your damn horses, Trevor,” he muttered as he put his truck in Park.
He
should have been quicker.
Hell,
that was life in a nutshell. Sometimes, you were just too late. For parking
spots, and for women.
He’d
tried to get that image out of his head. More times than he could count over
the past decade. Had tried to erase that first time he’d seen Ellie.
It
was at his parents’ barbecue. Late one summer afternoon.
He’d
been talking and laughing with his brothers, and he’d lifted a beer to his lips
and looked out away from the party. Then he’d frozen.
It
was like the world had slowed down, all of it centering on the beautiful
blonde walking toward him. The golden light from the sun illuminated her hair
like a halo, and her smile seemed to light him up from the inside out.
As
she’d gotten closer, he’d taken in every last detail. The way the left side of
her cheek dimpled with that grin; her eyes, a mix of green and blue and a punch
in the gut. Her lips were glossy pink, and he wondered if it was that stuff
that women wore that smelled and tasted like cherries. He couldn’t decide if he
hoped that it was or not.
Twenty
years old, more experienced with women than he probably should be, and ready
right then and there to drop down to his knees and propose marriage to the one
walking in his direction.
It
took him a full minute to realize that the beautiful blonde was holding hands
with someone.
And
that that someone was Caleb’s best friend on earth.
It
was a surreal moment. It had been a sea change in his soul. When his feelings
for Ellie had tipped over from nothing to everything.
A
revelation he hadn’t been looking for, and one he sure as hell hadn’t enjoyed.
It
was like the whole world had turned, then bucked, like a particularly nasty-ass
bull, and left him sprawled out on the ground.
It
had been the beginning of a thorny, painful set of years. As he’d gotten to
know Ellie, as his feelings for her had become knit deep into his heart, into
his soul. She’d become more than his friend’s woman, and more than a woman he’d
desired. She’d become a friend to him.
In
many ways he was thankful for the depth of the feeling, because it was the reason
he’d been able to put aside the lust. The idea that he’d fallen in love with
her at first sight.
When
Clint had first started dating her, she’d been in school, so she hadn’t been
around all the time. But during the summers, and on breaks, she came around
with Clint.
Went
to the lake with them. Went fishing. Came to Christmas and Thanksgiving.
The
summers at the lake, though, that had been a particular kind of torture. All of
them swimming out in the water, her and her swimsuit. A tiny bikini that had
left little to the imagination.
And
he had been so very interested in imagining all the things that it did conceal.
And
he’d felt like the biggest, most perverse asshole.
Then
there had been the time that Clint had asked him to take her out riding.
Just
the two of them.
Because
Clint trusted him. Of course he did. Why wouldn’t he trust his best friend? So
he’d done it.
Had
taken her out on the trails that wound behind the Dalton family property, up to
the top of a mountain. And he looked over at the view with her, watched the
sunset. And everything in him had wanted to lean over and kiss her on the
mouth. To act on the feelings that were rioting through his chest.
For
just a breath she’d looked back at him, met his eyes. And he’d thought maybe
she’d wanted it, too.
Yeah,
it would have exploded his relationship with Clint, but for a minute it seemed
like it might be worth it.
Then
she’d looked away. And then he’d come back to himself.
Clint
was his brother. In every way but blood.
And
he couldn’t betray his friend like that.
Anyway,
Ellie loved Clint.
She
didn’t love Caleb.
And
no matter how much he might not want to, he had to respect that.
So
he hadn’t kissed her. They had ridden back down that mountain, and nothing
happened between them. But late at night, Caleb had taken himself in hand and
fantasized that it had.
Two
days later Clint and Ellie had been engaged.
Caleb
had agreed to be the best man.
She’d
married Clint. And while his feelings for her had remained, they’d shifted. As
they’d had to.
He
wasn’t perfect. He’d never touched Ellie. Not like a man touched a woman,
though that hadn’t stopped him from going over the accidental brush of
fingertips, of their elbows touching, over and over in his mind if it had
happened on accident.
It
hadn’t stopped him from keeping and cherishing secrets with her, even when he
knew he shouldn’t. Hadn’t stopped him from pushing some boundaries that not
even Ellie had realized he’d been pushing at.
Ellie
was the one who’d realized, for the first time, that he was dyslexic. And he’d
sworn her to secrecy. And in that secrecy had come secret reading lessons.
And
he’d…well, he’d lost control of his own feelings again. And once he’d
recognized that, he’d cut them off. Cut her off.
But
then Clint had died, just a month later. And everything changed again.
Since
then, his relationship with Ellie was about their coming together to try and
fill the gap Clint had left behind. His helping where she needed it.
Helping
with the house, with her grief, with Amelia.
That
was all.
Excerpted
from Christmas Cowboy Redemption by
Maisey Yates, Copyright © 2019 by Maisey Yates. Published
by HQN Books.
Christmas From The Heart
by Sheila Roberts
Title: Christmas From The Heart
Author: Sheila Roberts
Publisher: Harlequin Books (HQN)
Release Date: 24th September 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
Sometimes you need to look beyond the big picture to see what really matters
Olivia Berg’s charity, Christmas from the Heart, has helped generations of families in need in Pine River, Washington, but this year might be the end of the road. Hightower Enterprises, one of their biggest donors since way back when Olivia’s grandmother ran the charity, has been taken over by Ebenezer Scrooge the Second, aka CFO Guy Hightower, and he’s declared there will be no more money coming to Christmas from the Heart.
Guy is simply being practical. Hightower Enterprises needs to tighten its belt, and when you don’t have money to spare, you don’t have money to share. You’d think even the pushy Olivia Berg could understand that.
With charitable donations dwindling, Olivia’s Christmas budget depends on Hightower’s contribution. She’s focused her whole life on helping this small town, even putting her love life on hold to support her mission.
When Guy’s Maserati breaks down at the edge of the Cascade foothills, he’s relieved to be rescued by a pretty young woman who drives him to the nearby town of Pine River. Until he realizes his rescuer is none other than Olivia Berg. What’s a Scrooge to do? Plug his nose and eat fruitcake and hope she doesn’t learn his true identity before he can get out of town. What could go wrong?
Goodreads Link
Sometimes you need to look beyond the big picture to see what really matters
Olivia Berg’s charity, Christmas from the Heart, has helped generations of families in need in Pine River, Washington, but this year might be the end of the road. Hightower Enterprises, one of their biggest donors since way back when Olivia’s grandmother ran the charity, has been taken over by Ebenezer Scrooge the Second, aka CFO Guy Hightower, and he’s declared there will be no more money coming to Christmas from the Heart.
Guy is simply being practical. Hightower Enterprises needs to tighten its belt, and when you don’t have money to spare, you don’t have money to share. You’d think even the pushy Olivia Berg could understand that.
With charitable donations dwindling, Olivia’s Christmas budget depends on Hightower’s contribution. She’s focused her whole life on helping this small town, even putting her love life on hold to support her mission.
When Guy’s Maserati breaks down at the edge of the Cascade foothills, he’s relieved to be rescued by a pretty young woman who drives him to the nearby town of Pine River. Until he realizes his rescuer is none other than Olivia Berg. What’s a Scrooge to do? Plug his nose and eat fruitcake and hope she doesn’t learn his true identity before he can get out of town. What could go wrong?
Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the
Pacific Northwest. Her novels have been published in several languages. Her
book, Angel Lane, was an Amazon Top Ten Romance pick for 2009. Her holiday
perennial, On Strike for Christmas, was made into a movie for the Lifetime
Movie Network and her novel, The Nine Lives of Christmas, was made into a movie
for Hallmark .
You can visit Sheila on Twitter and Facebook or at her website (http://www.sheilasplace.com).
AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook: @funwithsheila
Twitter: @_Sheila_Roberts
Instagram: @funwithsheila
EXCERPT
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Holiday Joy
Dear Ms. Thompson,
Happy Valentine’s Day to you! I’m
following up our January newsletter with a special greeting as this is, of
course, the month for love. Love for our sweethearts, our family and friends,
and for those in need. As you could see from the newsletter, we put the money
our loyal supporters donated to us to good use. So many families benefited from
your generous donation to Christmas from the Heart last year and I just wanted
to remind you that, even though the holidays seem far away they will be here
before we know it. I hope we can count on Hightower Enterprises again this
year. We have such a history together. Let’s keep up the good work!
Warmly,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Subject: Holiday Joy
Dear Ms. Berg,
Thanks for reaching out. Our fiscal
year is just ending and I haven’t yet received word as to how our charitable
donations will be dispersed this year. I will keep you apprised.
Best, Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Holiday Joy
Thank you so much. Looking forward to
hearing from you!
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-1-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Happy May Day!
Dear Ms. Thompson, just wanted to
wish you a happy May Day. The flowers here in Pine River are now in full bloom,
and our organization has been busy helping people make their dreams bloom, as
well. As you know, while our focus is primarily the holidays, Christmas from
the Heart tries to help people all year round when needs arise. Of course,
Christmas is our big thrust, and as there is no other organization working in
this area, we are much needed. As are your kind contributions. I still haven’t
heard and I do hope we can count on you.
Warmly,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
Reaching out again in case my last
email went astray. I’m wondering if you have any news for me regarding
Hightower’s involvement with our cause for this coming year.
Thanks!
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
Ms. Berg, sorry I haven’t been able
to get back to you sooner. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. It appears
that the company is going to be scaling back on their charitable giving this
year and funds have already been budgeted for other causes. I’m aware of the
fact that in the past we’ve donated to your organization and I’m sorry I don’t
have better news for you. I do wish you all the best in your search for other
funding.
Best,
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
There must be some sort of
misunderstanding! Hightower has always donated to Christmas from the Heart. The
company’s founder, Elias Hightower, was my great-grandmother’s first
contributor, and he promised her that Hightower would always be there for this
organization. This is a company tradition! Please speak to your director.
Hopefully,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
I’m sorry. The decision is out of my
hands.
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
Then please tell me who I need to
talk to. Who’s your CFO?
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
Our CFO is Guy Hightower, and his
email is ghightower@hightowerenterprises.com
Good luck!
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director,
Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Guy Hightower, CFO, Hightower
Enterprises
Subject: Please reconsider
Dear Mr. Hightower, I understand from
your corporate social resources director that Hightower isn’t planning on making
any donation to Christmas from the Heart this year. There must be some mistake!
Surely you’re aware of the long-standing relationship between your company and
our organization. I’m sure I can count on you for some small amount.
Best, Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
Guy Hightower frowned when he saw the
email from Olivia Berg in his in-box. Marla Thompson had been forwarding her
emails to him, keeping him abreast of Olivia Berg’s varied begging tactics, and
had finally even come into his office, trying to dump the load of guilt the
woman had laid on her from her shoulders to his.
“Don’t open it,” he
told himself. He opened it anyway. Then he read it and swore.
Actually, he’d been
swearing ever since meeting with his brothers to discuss the budget back in
December. If either of them had listened to him three years ago, they wouldn’t
be having to pull the company belt so tight now. This was the problem with
being the youngest. It didn’t matter how many degrees you had, how smart you
were or what your job title was. Big brothers never listened.
Hard to listen when
you were going through your third divorce.
That was Mike’s
excuse. What was Bryan’s? Oh yeah. He was a wuss. He always agreed with Mike,
no matter what. And Mike hadn’t wanted to change directions. Never mind that
the company was struggling, keep on doing the same thing. The definition of
insanity.
Sorry, Little Miss
Christmas. Times were tough all over. Hightower had kept its commitment to the
more visible causes and turned the little fish loose. And that was how it
worked in the corporate world.
He typed his reply.
Dear Ms. Berg, I regret that
Hightower can’t help you this year. We’ve had to reassess our commitments to
various causes. I’m sure you’ll understand.
Then
he signed off with the time-honored adios: Respectfully, Guy Hightower.
And
if she didn’t understand, well, not his problem. He had his hands full trying
to keep the family company afloat. Maybe now Mike would be ready to take his
advice and diversify.
Olivia
Berg—Livi to her family and friends—read the email from Guy Hightower a second
time. Yes, the message was the same. Really? Really? Who was this man, Ebenezer
Scrooge the Second?
She plowed her
fingers through her hair, the birthstone ring Morris had given her for her
birthday catching in the curls. She was so angry she barely noticed.
With a snarl, she
began to type.
You should be ashamed. Your
great-grandfather is probably turning in his grave right now. What’s the matter
with you, anyway, you selfish bastard?
She
pulled her fingers off the keyboard with a gasp. What was she thinking? Was
this any way to get someone to contribute to her cause? And what kind of
language was this? Her great-grandmother would be turning in her grave right
now, along with Elias. Adelaide Brimwell had been a lady through and through.
So had Livi’s grandmother, Olivia, as well as Livi’s mom.
The
thought of her mother made her tear up. How she wished Mom was still around to
advise her. They’d always planned that Livi would take over running the
organization one day, but neither had dreamed that day would come so soon. Her
mother’s heart attack had struck like lightning. Livi’s brother had left town,
moving to Seattle, which was just far enough south to keep the memories at bay.
Livi had stayed put, holding on to every single one, weaving them together into
a lifeline to cling to as she kept Christmas from the Heart afloat.
Oh,
Mom. What should I do?
Try again came the
answer.
Yes, her mother
never gave up. She’d chased one potential donor for two years before he finally
came through. Livi still remembered the day her mom left the house, clad in a Mrs.
Santa costume she’d created—requisite white wig along with a frilly white
blouse and a red skirt topped with a red-striped apron. She’d taken with her a
batch of home-baked cookies nestled in a red basket and returned home with a
check for five hundred dollars. The man had been a loyal contributor ever
since. Livi still took him cookies every year.
“Persistence pays,”
she told herself as she deleted what she’d typed.
She started over.
I’m asking you to reconsider. Your
company is our major donor, and without you so many people will have little joy
this Christmas. Any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated.
There.
He’d have to be a heartless monster not to respond to that.
Guy
trashed the guilt-inflicting email. What was he, Santa Claus? He had his hands
full keeping his company solvent.
But
then, people like Olivia Berg never considered the fact that a company might
have needs of its own. What made them feel so entitled to sit at the edge of
the salt mine while a man slaved away and then greet him with their hands out
when he emerged broken and bruised? Maybe some of those people always begging
for money should get out there and actually earn a living. Let
them work their tails off, putting in seventy-hour weeks. Sheesh.
Anyway, the company had already met their good deed
quota for the year. The only cause Guy was interested in now was Hightower
Enterprises.
By
the end of the workday, Guy Hightower still hadn’t responded to Livi’s last
email. “You are a heartless monster,” she grumbled, glaring at her empty email
in-box.
“No
word yet?” her part-time assistant, Bettina Thomas, asked as she shut down her
computer.
Livi sighed and
shook her head.
“That is so wrong,”
Bettina said in disgust.
It sure was.
“They’ve been our major donor ever since my great-grandmother founded Christmas
from the Heart. Without their contribution how will we put on the Christmas
dinner at the community center? How many families won’t have presents under the
tree or Christmas stockings or a Christmas turkey?” There was no Salvation Army
in Pine River, no Toys for Tots— none of the usual organizations serviced this
area. There had been no need. Christmas from the Heart had it under control.
Until now.
“We’ve had to
reassess our commitments,” Livi quoted. The words left a bad taste in her mouth
and she frowned. “It sounds like something your boyfriend says when he’s
dumping you.”
“They are dumping
us,” Bettina pointed out. “But don’t worry. We have time. We’ll find someone
else to come through.”
“Not like
Hightower. There must be something I can do,” Livi mused.
“There is. Go home
and eat chocolate.”
And try not to
think bad thoughts about Guy Hightower.
In all fairness, he
probably didn’t grasp the situation. She’d call him the next day and invite him
to come to Pine River for a visit so she could let him see the need, show him a
little of what Christmas from the Heart did for the community. She could take
him to lunch, introduce him to some of the people in town, put a face—or better
yet, several—to Christmas from the Heart. She’d top it all off by following in
her mother’s footsteps and baking him cookies. Then how could he help but catch
the vision his great-grandfather and her great-grandmother had shared?
Yes, that would do
it. Sometimes you had to be a little patient, give people a second chance.
Excerpted from Christmas From the Heart by Sheila Roberts.
Copyright © 2019
by Roberts Ink LLC. Published by MIRA Books.
Christmas In The Silver Springs
by Brenda Novak
Title: Christmas In Silver Springs
Series: Silver Springs
Series: Silver Springs
Author: Brenda Novak
Publisher: Harlequin Books (HQN)
Release Date: 29th October 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
Come home to Silver Springs for the holidays, where broken hearts learn to love again…together.
So much for forever. When Elle Devlin’s rock star husband ditches her on his way to the top, she takes her two daughters to her sister’s place in Silver Springs for the holidays, hoping family can heal her broken heart. But comfort comes in unexpected places when she crosses paths with Tobias Richardson.
The moment Tobias spots Elle, he recognizes a sadness he knows all too well. After spending thirteen years in prison paying for his regretful past, Tobias is ready to make amends, and maybe helping Elle is the way to do it. But offering her a shoulder to cry on ignites a powerful attraction and a desire neither saw coming.
Fearing her reaction, Tobias doesn’t divulge his ex-con status, let alone the shameful details. So when Elle’s ex shows up in Silver Springs and reveals the truth in a bid to win her back, Tobias is sure he’s lost her for good. But maybe this Christmas he’ll receive the forgiveness—and the love—he deserves.
Goodreads Link
Come home to Silver Springs for the holidays, where broken hearts learn to love again…together.
So much for forever. When Elle Devlin’s rock star husband ditches her on his way to the top, she takes her two daughters to her sister’s place in Silver Springs for the holidays, hoping family can heal her broken heart. But comfort comes in unexpected places when she crosses paths with Tobias Richardson.
The moment Tobias spots Elle, he recognizes a sadness he knows all too well. After spending thirteen years in prison paying for his regretful past, Tobias is ready to make amends, and maybe helping Elle is the way to do it. But offering her a shoulder to cry on ignites a powerful attraction and a desire neither saw coming.
Fearing her reaction, Tobias doesn’t divulge his ex-con status, let alone the shameful details. So when Elle’s ex shows up in Silver Springs and reveals the truth in a bid to win her back, Tobias is sure he’s lost her for good. But maybe this Christmas he’ll receive the forgiveness—and the love—he deserves.
Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brenda
Novak, a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, has
penned over sixty novels. She is a six-time nominee for the RITA Award and has
won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best,
and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to
raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date,
she's raised $2.5 million.
For more about Brenda, please visit
www.brendanovak.com.
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter:
@Brenda_Novak
Face Book: @BrendaNovakAuthor
Instagram:
@authorbrendanovak
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
Friday, December 6
Tobias Richardson couldn’t help
noticing the petite blonde sitting at the old-fashioned counter of the
diner—and not just because she was pretty. He was sure he’d never seen her
before. With a population of seven thousand, Silver Springs wasn’t small enough
that he’d recognize everybody, especially because he’d only been living
here for five months. The town seemed to have gotten a lot smaller since the
weather turned, though. It didn’t snow in this part of California, but it was
the rainy season and the region was experiencing colder than normal
temperatures. Tourists weren’t interested in visiting when it was chill and
damp, and the same went for the many residents of LA, ninety minutes to the
southeast, who had vacation homes here. This month, and probably for the next
two or three, he guessed Silver Springs would be limited to the locals.
He blew on his hands, trying to
warm them while waiting for the coffee he’d ordered when he first sat down.
He’d managed to squeeze in a hike after work. He didn’t care that it was dark
and wet by the time he was on his way back. He had a
headlight to guide him to the trailhead and was willing to put
up with the rain. But he was chilled to the bone. After such an arduous hike,
he was starving, too, and craving a hot shower.
Again, he glanced toward the counter. He didn’t want the woman
to catch him staring, but something about her—besides her looks—drew his
attention.
She didn’t seem happy…
“Here you go.” Willow Sanhurst, the barely eighteen-year-old
girl who worked evenings at the Eatery, stepped between him and the woman who
intrigued him, smiled broadly and put his cup on the table with a flourish.
“Warming up yet?”
“Starting to.”
“I can’t believe you’ve been out hiking. It’s December!”
“Little bit of rain never hurt anybody.”
He’d traded out his muddy hiking books for a pair of clean shoes
before coming into the restaurant. Other than that, he was only a little damp,
so he wasn’t sure why she was making such a big deal of it.
“You must really like the outdoors.”
“I do,” he said.
“So do I.”
He got the impression he was
supposed to follow that up with an invitation to go hiking with him sometime,
but he didn’t.
Even though they’d already
discussed his hike when he’d sat down and she’d brought him water, and the
diner was full of people waiting for a chance to order, she didn’t move away as
most waitresses would.
Before bringing the coffee to
his lips, he looked up to see if there was something she needed.
As soon as their eyes met, she
blushed a deep red, wiped her hands on her ruffled white apron and mumbled some
remark about being careful not to burn himself—that the coffee was hot—before
hurrying away.
Damn it. She had a crush on
him. She’d clearly wanted to say something but hadn’t been able to gather the
nerve, and that made him distinctly uncomfortable. After being released from
prison in July he was committed to making better choices, to building a
productive life. He couldn’t have some high school girl staring at him with the
longing he saw shining in her eyes. If she started seriously pursuing him, he
was afraid he’d end up in a bad situation just because he was so damn lonely.
With a sigh, he took a tentative sip of his coffee. This was his
favorite place to eat—the comfort food and Norman Rockwell vibe reminded him of
the wholesome existence he’d always secretly admired. But he’d have to quit
coming here. He wouldn’t allow himself to be tempted. His brother, Maddox, said
over and over that his first year out of prison would be the hardest, and
although Tobias acted as though he was doing fine, that he had his life under
control, his journey was not as sure-footed as he let on. Sometimes, especially
late at night, he felt as though he’d been cast adrift on a vast ocean and
might never find safe harbor. And that sense of being so small and
insignificant made him crave the substances that had gotten him into trouble in
the first place.
Willow kept looking over at him, obviously hoping to catch his
eye. While he poured a dash of cream into his coffee, he considered canceling
his meal. He could eat somewhere else—grab something to go and head home to
shower. But just as he was about to slide out of the booth, his phone dinged
with a text from Maddox, asking if he’d like to come over for dinner.
Already ate. Enjoy your night. See you at work
tomorrow, he wrote back.
He knew his brother worried about
him, was trying to help him adjust to life outside prison and didn’t want him
to backslide and become like their mother. But Maddox had recently married the
girl he’d loved since high school. He deserved to be alone with Jada, his new
wife, who was now pregnant, and Maya, their daughter. The last thing Tobias
wanted to do was get in the way of their relationship—again. It was because of him they
hadn’t gotten together the first time around, and that had cost Maddox the
first twelve years of Maya’s life.
As he slid his phone in his
coat pocket, he saw that it was too late to cancel his food. Willow was once
again coming toward him, this time carrying a plate.
“You texting your girlfriend?”
she asked, flirting with him as she put down his meat loaf and mashed potatoes.
He allowed himself another
glance at the blonde sitting at the counter. Her meal had come, too, and yet
she held her fork, turning it over and over in one hand, staring at her food
without taking a bite.
“Did you hear me?” Willow
asked.
Putting his napkin in his lap,
he picked up his fork. “I’m sorry. What’d you say?”
She looked over her shoulder in
the direction he’d been looking and lowered her voice. “I see you’ve
noticed Harper.”
“Harper?” he repeated.
“Yeah, Harper Devlin—Axel
Devlin’s wife. She’s been in here before.”
“Who’s Axel Devlin?”
“Are you kidding me? He’s the
lead singer of Pulse. They’re, like…the biggest band on the planet!”
He’d heard of Pulse, was
familiar with their music and liked it. He’d also heard the name of the band’s
lead singer many times. He’d just never dreamed Willow could be referring to that
Axel Devlin—although there was no good reason why she couldn’t be. A lot of
celebrities came to artsy, spiritually focused Silver Springs. Quite a few,
especially movie people, retired here. And he often interacted with Hudson
King, a professional football player, at New Horizons Boys Ranch, where he
worked doing grounds and building maintenance. Hudson did a lot to help the
troubled teens who attended the boarding school—both the boys’ side and the
recently built girls’ school on the same property. He’d donated the money
to buy an ice-skating rink both sides could use. “Do they live in the area?”
“No. She and her two kids are staying with her sister for the
holidays. I overheard her talking to the owner.”
“She looks a little…” When he let his words trail off, Willow
jumped in to finish the sentence.
“Depressed?”
“I was going to say ‘lost.’”
“Probably is. I watched an interview with Axel a few months ago.
He said they were splitting up. Maybe that’s why.”
It was none of his business, but Tobias couldn’t help asking,
“Did he give a reason?”
She seemed to like that they’d found something to talk about
that wasn’t so strained and awkward for her. “Blamed it on the travel. He has
to be gone too much. Yada, yada. What else is he going to say? That he’s
cheating with a different girl every night?” she added with a laugh.
Tobias felt bad for Harper. It couldn’t be easy to be married to
a rock star. She wasn’t that old, likely hadn’t been prepared for that kind of
life. If Tobias remembered correctly, Axel was from a small town in Idaho, and
he and his band had become famous almost overnight. Now he was sitting on top
of the world.
But where did that leave her?
“You said they have kids?” he asked.
“Yeah. Two little girls. I don’t remember their ages—maybe eight
and six? Something like that.”
So Harper had married Axel before
he’d become a big success, and
they’d started a family. That indicated she’d married for love. “Where are the
kids?”
“With her sister, I guess.”
Willow lowered her voice. “It would suck to be her, right? I mean, she has to
see his name and his face everywhere, can’t escape the constant
reminder.”
Now that he wasn’t paying as much
attention to Willow’s hopeful smiles and nervousness when she was around him,
Tobias
could see others in the restaurant nudging their companions and pointing to
Harper. Apparently a lot of people knew who she was—or word was spreading fast.
Poor thing. He understood what it was like to be the talk of the
town. He’d been only seventeen when he’d been prosecuted as an adult and
jailed for thirteen years. Returning to Silver Springs after his release this
past summer had been like being put under a microscope. Suffering privately was
one thing. Suffering publicly was something else entirely. That took what she
was going through to a whole new level.
“Shouldn’t be too hard for her to find someone else.” He said it
as though he wasn’t particularly invested, but Harper had caught his eye, hadn’t she?
“Are you kidding me?” Willow
responded again. “How will anyone else ever compare?”
She had a point. It would be
tough for a regular guy to match Axel, financially and otherwise. “True.”
“You’re not interested
in her, are you?” Willow looked slightly crestfallen.
Apparently he hadn’t been as
careful to hide his feelings as he’d thought. But he was an ex-con, making a
modest wage working for a correctional school. He’d never known his father, and
his mother was a meth addict, constantly in and out of rehab. He knew when he
was out of his league. “No.”
“Good.” A relieved smile curved
her lips. “Because I’ve been watching you for a while and…well… I hope there’s
someone else in this restaurant you might be interested in.” She
finished in a rush, couldn’t quite look at him and then hurried away—only to
return with a slip of paper that had her number on it when she brought the
check.
Harper shoved her garlic mashed
potatoes from one side of her plate to the other as she listened to the hum of
voices in the diner. Although surrounded by people, she’d never felt so alone.
“I’ve got a number five,” the cook barked out for the waitresses.
Harper checked the menu, which she’d left open at her elbow so
she’d have something to look at. It was difficult to go out in public right
now. After the documentary she did with Axel last year, trying to remove the
stigma of depression and using a therapist when necessary, people often
recognized her, so she had little privacy.
A number five was a chicken breast with lemon-dill sauce,
steamed vegetables and a gluten-free corn muffin. She’d ordered a number
seven—peppercorn steak, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, which had
sounded good at first, but the only thing she’d been able to make herself eat
was part of the dinner roll. She doubted it was gluten-free. Axel had made a
big deal about staying away from gluten, but he
was allergic to it, not her.
And although she thought it was probably wise to avoid it, she didn’t care
about her diet right now. She didn’t care about much of anything since her
marriage had unraveled. It’d been all she could do just to hold herself
together for the sake of her kids, and now Christmas would be here in only
three weeks. It would be her and the girls’ first Christmas without Axel. He
was touring Europe and wouldn’t be back until after the first of the year,
since his last big concert was scheduled for New Year’s Eve.
Now that everything had changed
between them, they wouldn’t have spent the holidays as they had in the past,
anyway.
He might’ve asked to take the
girls, however.
She could only imagine how
lonely she would have felt with them gone, and yet…she sort of wished he had
taken them. She didn’t feel capable of holding up her end, of putting on a brave
face and telling their children that everything was going to be okay when it
felt as though the ground had given way beneath her feet. She had no interest
in decorating, putting up a tree or buying presents, which was why her sister
had insisted she come
for an extended visit, even if it meant having the girls transfer
schools for a couple of months. Piper and Everly were at a church Christmas
party tonight with their cousins—twin girls who were older than Everly by four
years. But Harper needed to be ready to face them with a smile when they came
home.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, but she didn’t bother to get
it out. No doubt it was her sister. They’d had an argument before Harper
stormed out of the house. Karoline had grown angry when Harper told her how
little she was getting for child support. According to her sister, she was
letting Axel off far too easy.
He was making a fortune, but Harper didn’t want to fight. She was still
in love with him. As soon as he’d made it clear that he didn’t want to be
married to her anymore, that he was no longer willing to try to work through
their differences, she’d settled for the first figure his lawyer had thrown
out. Otherwise, she was afraid the media would start to claim they were going
through a “bitter” divorce. As she’d told Karoline, she’d make it on her own somehow,
even though she hadn’t worked in an official capacity since the first three
years of her marriage, when Axel was trying so hard to get a start in show
business and he’d needed her to cover their basic living expenses.
Maybe she was a fool to
be so accommodating. But she couldn’t imagine Axel would consider keeping the
family together if she turned into a bitch. Besides, she didn’t even know who
he was anymore, he’d changed so much. She couldn’t decide what she had a right
to demand. Had she let Axel down? Or had he let her down? He’d always
suffered from anxiety and depression. Maybe she hadn’t done enough to help him—
“Is everything okay?”
She forced herself to look up.
The waitress working the counter had paused in front of her, obviously
wondering if there was something wrong with the food.
“Fine,” Harper mumbled. She
hadn’t really come to eat. She just needed some time alone, couldn’t face going
back to her
sister’s quite yet. As nice as it was of Karoline to provide a
refuge during this difficult month, being with her only sibling wasn’t much
easier than being alone, because now she had to constantly explain and justify
her actions. And with her emotions zinging all over the place, she wasn’t
being consistent, couldn’t be consistent. Most of the time, she wasn’t even making a whole
lot of sense.
Elvis’s “Blue Christmas” came
on the sound system as the waitress moved on to her other customers.
Harper took a sip of her coffee
and braved a quick glance around. Although she liked this restaurant, she
didn’t feel she belonged in Silver Springs. Why wasn’t she in Denver, where she
and Axel had lived after their college days at Boise State?
Because as much as she and Axel
had once believed that they’d be the exception to the rule, that nothing could
come between them, they’d been wrong. Slowly but surely, Axel had lost all
perspective and started caring more about his work than he did his family. Fame
had destroyed their relationship like so many celebrities before them.
With a sigh, she took the bill
the waitress had put near her plate and paid at the register. She owed her
sister more respect than to make her worry. She had to go back and face Karoline
whether she wanted to or not.
Harper hadn’t put on makeup for
weeks, hadn’t done anything with her hair, either, other than to pile it in a
messy bun on her head, so it didn’t bother her that it was raining. She was
cold, though; couldn’t seem to get warm. Tightening her oversize coat—a
castoff of Axel’s from the good old days when they were first married—she
pushed out of the warm café into the bad weather.
Putting her head down, she
stared at her feet, bracing against the gusts of wind that whipped at her hair
and clothes while stepping over two or three puddles to reach the Range Rover
Axel had let her keep when they split. If she got desperate, she
supposed she could sell it. It had cost a pretty penny.
She was opening the driver’s door when she noticed a tall, lanky
man with longish dark hair crossing the lot toward her.
“Don’t be frightened,” he said, lifting one hand in a gesture
intended to show he wasn’t being aggressive. “I just… I saw you inside and…”
Prepared to rebuff him, she set her jaw. She was not in the mood to be hit on. But
when she met his eyes, something about his expression told her that wasn’t what
this was about. Taking a long-stemmed white rose from inside his coat, he
stepped forward to give it to her.
“Hang in there. It’ll get
easier,” he said. Then he walked off before she could even ask for his name.
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