Christmas Sisters

by Tess Thompson

  Jo nodded. “Here, Hailey, these are yours.”

  Hailey swallowed hard. “Mine?”

  “Yes. They’re yours. Here’s the icing and here is the spreader. Go to it,” Jo said.

  A few moments later, Hailey stood back. The green and red colors weren’t exactly where she’d wanted them—they sort of blended too much—but the cookies were beautiful just the same.

  “Go ahead and lick the spoon. We left some for you,” said Mrs. Kirby.

  The sugary taste on Hailey’s tongue was delicious. “Mmm,” she murmured, bringing a knowing smile to Mrs. Kirby’s face.

  Christmas morning, Alissa jumped out of bed. “Get up, sleepyhead! It’s Christmas!”

  Hailey’s eyes flew open. It had just been moments ago that she lay awake wondering if Christmas was ever going to come. She scrambled out of bed and raced after Alissa.

  Downstairs, Mrs. Kirby was in the living room with Jo and Stevie.

  “Merry Christmas, girls! Come join us.”

  They sat together around the Christmas tree. Hailey stared at the number of brightly wrapped packages with awe. She’d never lived in a house where there were so many.

  “Let’s take turns opening gifts,” said Mrs. Kirby.

  Watching the girls open her presents for them, Hailey felt warm inside. They’d each liked her gift. She could tell. Stevie even understood why she’d chosen a notebook with a fox on it. Her last name was Fox.

  And when she opened her own gifts, she almost squealed with delight. Colored pencils, pens, a notebook with a picture of a Dachshund on it, a drawing pad, and not one, but two books were hers. The notebook even had her name printed on it in big black letters.

  Charlie, it’s the best Christmas ever. Maybe there really is a Santa Claus.

  She’d always remember this day—the music, the lights on the tree, the sound of crinkling paper, the cries of surprise. She studied Mrs. Kirby laughing with the other girls and felt as if she was in a dream.

  Mrs. Kirby leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We all have so much to be thankful for.”

  Yes, Charlie, you and me. Hailey hugged him hard, her eyes filling with tears of joy.

  Epilogue: Fifteen Years Later

  Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge

  Maddie hummed a Christmas tune as she brought the last of the grocery bags in and set them on the kitchen counter. Making holiday goodies for her girls always put her in a good mood, and she danced around the kitchen as she put things away and prepared to begin her marathon baking session. In a few days, she’d be surrounded by her brood, and her heart was filled to overflowing with the anticipation.

  She always looked forward to Christmas and having all the girls back home to celebrate with her, but this year was especially exciting. Alissa was getting married on Christmas Eve, and everyone had planned to spend the entire holiday week together at nearby Cedar Mountain Lodge to celebrate the family’s first wedding and partake in the holiday festivities.

  Maddie’s cell phone rang as she pulled her rolling pin from its usual spot in the pantry, and she smiled to hear Alissa’s customized ring tone playing “Here Comes the Bride.”

  “Hi, honey! How’s our bride today?” Maddie answered with a cheery tone, but her smile faltered when she heard Alissa crying on the other end of the line.

  “Mom, the wedding’s off.”

  Uh-oh. Can the magic of the season restore the family’s faith in love? Come and join Maddie, Hailey, Stevie, and Jo as they gather with Alissa at the Cedar Mountain Lodge for a holiday reunion they’ll never forget.

  Get the rest of the series now!

  Book 2: Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim

  Book 3: Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace

  Book 4: Christmas Hope by Violet Howe

  Book 5: Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop

  Book 6: Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson

  And join the authors in the Soul Sisters Chat Facebook group for book discussions, activities, and interaction with other book lovers.

  Continue The Story…

  Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim, Chapter 1

  Hailey Kirby sat in the Granite Ridge, Idaho, library on a small wooden chair in the middle of a circle of wide-eyed three-to-six-year-old children sitting on the plush, new, green carpet in the children’s section. Story time was her favorite activity of her job as assistant librarian and director of children’s programs, and she loved to make it as exciting as possible by acting out the characters with different voices and mannerisms.

  Though their town was small, the two-story, red-brick library building was an important part of the community. It had become a gathering place for various activities. Volunteer groups used the conference room for meetings, and the book club, which had started as a small group, had grown large enough to meet there every month, filling the largest room. Best of all, the library was a place that introduced the joys of reading to children.

  As she leafed through the book she was reading aloud, she studied the pictures carefully—pictures drawn by her own hand. That was something very few people knew. As part of her contract with a well-known children’s book publisher, Hailey, writing and illustrating under the name of Lee Merriweather, had demanded anonymity. After lengthy discussions and with the help of her sister, Jo, acting as her lawyer, she finally won. She knew, though, as Lee Merriweather’s popularity grew, she would eventually be exposed. Maybe by then, she’d be more comfortable about people knowing who she really was.

  “What’s Charlie going to do now?” asked one of the children, giving her a worried look.

  “Is he going to get into trouble again?” another child asked.

  Hailey held up a finger. “Let’s see. Shall we?” One of the main characters in her stories was a boy named Charlie. He and his three friends found themselves in all kinds of trouble as they learned one life lesson after another. Each book had a happy ending, of course, because she understood how important they were.

  Hailey read:

  “Charlie’s mother hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you came home. I missed you.”

  “I promise not to run away again,” said Charlie. He hadn’t been gone long. After going only one block with his dachshund, Zeke, he wished he hadn’t done it. Like his mother had told him, “Home is where the heart is”, and he knew his home was with her and the rest of his family.”

  “I’m glad Charlie went home,” said a little girl named Regan, whom Hailey adored.

  “Me, too,” said Hailey. She’d found a home with Maddie Kirby when she was eight years old and would do anything in the world to repay her. It was one reason she’d come back to Granite Ridge after college. If Mom ever needed her, she’d be there in a heartbeat.

  She helped the children replace their chairs at the tables set aside for them in the children’s corner and checked her watch. She had just a few more hours until it was time for her to go home to pack for her stay with her family at the Cedar Mountain Lodge. She was both excited and saddened by the idea.

  Alissa, her sister, had been dumped by her fiancé, Jed, days before their Christmas Eve wedding. Alissa told everyone in the family to go ahead with plans to spend time at the lodge. Travel arrangements had already been made for those flying in, the lodge had accommodations for them all, and her ex fiancé, the rat, could very well find other arrangements for the holiday. In an effort to cheer her and continue their family tradition of spending the holidays together, Hailey, her sisters, and their mom all agreed to keep to those plans. But Hailey ached for her sister. Jed had seemed the perfect man for her, and he’d disappointed them all.

  Hailey spent time speaking to parents as they picked up their children from story time. She accepted hugs from all the children, loving the feel of their little arms around her.

  When Nick Hensley entered the room, her pulse sputtered and kicked into a sprint. With his black, curly hair, brown eyes, and strong physique, he was beyond a hottie. The black ski jacket he wore stretched across his
broad chest as if it had been made especially for him.

  “Hi, Hailey. I’m here for Regan,” Nick announced, looking around. “Where is she?” He sometimes helped his sister, Stacy, take care of Regan when she was too busy at the candy store in town to pick her up herself.

  “Here! I’m here!” Laughing, Regan poked her head from behind a corner of the book shelf and ran to him, her arms open wide, her pink snow jacket flying behind her dark curls.

  He swung her up in his arms and hugged her to him. “Okay, monkey, time to go to the store. Your mom is still working.”

  “Are you going to stay with us?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, I have to go to work at the lodge. I make music there for everyone. Remember? Say thank you to Miss Kirby.”

  “Kisses! I want kisses,” Regan said, reaching for Hailey, her brown eyes shining.

  Hailey came close enough for Regan to kiss her.

  Hailey closed her eyes as Regan planted a kiss on her cheek, wondering how it would feel if Nick did the same. She inhaled the smell of his lemony after-shave and sighed as he stepped away. They’d talked as friends about books, the weather and such, but that was as far as it went.

  “Okay, then. Regan will see you next time,” said Nick in his deep sexy voice. He started to leave and turned back to her. “I did as you suggested and wrote to Lee Merriweather. I got an email back from her stating she’d be happy to consider my creating a couple of children’s songs to go with her books.”

  “How nice,” she replied with a smile, trying not to give herself away. “I think it’s a great idea.”

  Nick shook his head. “There’s something about those stories of hers. They’re special. Because Regan loves them so much, I swear I’ve read each book of hers about a hundred times, and every time I’m reminded of something in my own childhood. Weird, huh?”

  “Maybe. But I’m sure it would make her happy to hear that.” Hailey’s heart sang. His kind words made all the hard work, all the long hours of writing and illustrating a children’s book worthwhile.

  “Well, I guess I’d better go.” Still holding Regan in his arms, he walked out of the library.

  Hailey sighed again. Lee Merriweather was more real to Nick than she was. Didn’t he remember meeting her as a young girl? The sweet way he’d knelt down to say hi was something she’d never forget. She’d been crushing on Nick since she was a kid.

  Back then, she’d been a lot shyer, a lot quieter. Growing up, her thick eyeglasses and strawberry-blond hair that would never cooperate didn’t help. Everyone in her family told her she was adorable, a little pixie, and though she loved them for it, she knew better. Just before she entered high school, they all surprised her with Lasik surgery. It was the sweetest, best gift she could’ve imagined, a chance to do without her hated glasses. At the time, she couldn’t stop crying at their kindness. The memory still brought tears to her eyes.

  In her books, Charlie, too, wore eyeglasses. No coincidence.

  Karen Peterson, the head librarian, walked over to Hailey. “I’m so sorry about Alissa’s broken engagement. She deserves much better treatment than that.”

  “Yes, I think so too. My family is going to go ahead with their plans to stay at the lodge through Christmas to New Year’s Day. I think it’ll be good for all of us.”

  “Such a sweet family you have, Hailey,” Karen said, beaming at her. “Maddie was so lucky to find you four girls.”

  “No,” Hailey said firmly. “We girls are the lucky ones.” She’d loved going from somebody no one wanted to one of the Kirby girls.

  “Well, enjoy yourselves. And when you come back, be ready to go to work. I’ll have a hard time explaining to the little ones why their marvelous Miss Kirby is away. Thank goodness our volunteers are willing to step in to give you the time off.”

  “The volunteers are wonderful. I can’t thank them enough.” Living in a small town like Granite Ridge had its advantages. The idea of supporting one another was a part of it.

  After Karen left, Hailey quickly wrote down instructions for the volunteers and mentioned a couple of books they might like to read aloud to the children. Every time she discovered a new book by a fellow author, she was thrilled to introduce it to the children. In some ways, it reminded her of her first night at her mother’s house when she was a frightened little girl of eight. The story her mother read to her and Alissa was still one of her favorites. Who could resist saying goodnight to the moon?

  With everything prepped at the library, Hailey bundled up, said goodbye to Karen, and headed out the door. Before going home to her condo, she had one errand to make. Hensley’s Sweet Shoppe made the best chocolate-coated, caramel kisses ever. Those special holiday sweets were one of the first things her sisters asked for whenever they came home to visit. She planned to surprise them with a big box of the candy.

  The frosty air outside took her breath away and nipped at her nose. But Hailey didn’t mind. It was part of the charm of the season. Absorbing the bright colors of the lights and the holiday displays in the shop windows, she hurried along the street.

  Hensley’s Sweet Shoppe had a delightful, old-fashioned look to it with large paned-glass windows covering most of the front of the store on either side of the bright-red front door. The humidity of the indoor air had coated the windows with a frosty look that made the store even more inviting.

  Hailey stepped inside, inhaled the enticing, sugary aroma, and grinned. Though she was careful about eating too many, she loved her sweets.

  “Hey, Hailey! I’ve got your order for Christmas Kisses all ready for you,” said Stacy, smiling at her, her hazel eyes agleam. She was all but hidden behind a starched, white apron. Her hair was covered by a pink baseball cap she wore to work in, but it couldn’t hide a brown curl that trailed out from under it.

  “Thanks!” said Hailey. “They’re the best.”

  “By the way, I appreciate your including Regan in story time,” Stacy said. “I know she’s a little young to be there without me sitting with her, but it means the world to her to be able to be with the other kids to listen to you.”

  “No problem. I adore her. Regan is better behaved than some of the older kids, and she genuinely loves the stories. That means a lot.”

  “Regan and Nick both love to read.” Stacy shook her head. “I swear, if Nick ever had the chance to meet the author of those Charlie books, he’d fall in love with her. He thinks she must be the most wonderful woman in the world.”

  “Really?” Hailey couldn’t hold back her surprise.

  Stacy nodded. “Oh, yeah. He hasn’t told me too much about his time away playing guitar in his band, but he’s one disillusioned guy about women. Apparently, they fell all over him because of his fame and so-called fortune. After being cheated out of a lot of money by his agent and with Mom’s death, Nick was more than ready to come back to Granite Ridge to help me. Nick and I have promised to honor Mom’s wishes to keep the candy store going. Thank goodness because that lying, cheating, scumbag ex of mine left me high and dry.”

  Stacy, as chatty as her mother had been, continued. “Yeah, underneath all the glamour, Nick is a quiet man who loves music and is content sharing it with others in a whole new way at the lodge.” She winked. “I can’t believe Stevie’s younger sister has grown into such a beauty. You were always so shy, so hidden behind those glasses of yours. But you were adorable, Hailey. I remember all too well how you and those dogs of yours followed your sisters and me around for a bit.”

  Hailey laughed. Another part of living in a small town meant your past was bound to nip you in the behind from time to time. “About the box of caramels?”

  “Ah yes,” said Stacy. “Here they are.”

  Hailey paid for the candy and waved goodbye. “Happy Holidays, Stacy. Give Regan a hug and a kiss for me.”

  “Will do. She’s with the sitter, but I’ll tell her. Best to all of you Kirbys.”

  A warm feeling kept the chill of the air away as Hailey hurried ba
ck to the library to get her car. She gripped the box of candy kisses in her hand. Kisses both real and imagined had been part of her life as a Kirby since the time her new mother gave her a stuffed dog to help make her feel more comfortable in her new home. At the suggestion of one of her sisters, she’d named that little, soft dog Charlie Brown. Other, real dogs followed.

  In time, Hailey hoped to have a family of her own, complete with dogs. But in order to make that happen, she needed to find the right man.

  Want to read more? Click here to download Christmas Kisses, Book Two in the Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge Series.

  About Violet Howe

  Violet Howe lives in Florida with her husband and three adorable but spoiled dogs. When she's not writing, Violet is usually watching movies, reading, or planning her next travel adventure. She believes in happily ever afters, love conquering all, humor being essential to life, and pizza being a necessity.

  All of Violet's books explore the many facets of women’s relationships—the romantic ones as well as those with friends and family. Depending on which title you choose, you might also find a mystery, an element of suspense, or a ghost or two. To learn more about Violet’s books, visit www.violethowe.com.

  Violet hopes you’ve enjoyed meeting Maddie, and if you’d like to spend more time with Maddie, Claire, and the four Soul Sisters as they celebrate the holidays together fifteen years after their first, then check out Christmas Hope, Book Four of the Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge Series.

  About Tammy L. Grace

  Tammy L. Grace is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author who entertains readers with perfect escapes, unforgettable characters, and binge-worthy series. She writes women’s fiction, whodunit mysteries, and sweet Christmas stories. She is a huge fan of dogs and includes furry companions in all of her books and has published two dog-centric novels for Bookouture under her pen name, Casey Wilson.