Christmas Is for Lovers: 6 Hot Holiday Romances

by Box Set

  “I won’t, I promise.” Hurrying up the steps, he grabbed the last two baskets from Holly’s room. He smiled as his thoughts went to previous Christmas mornings and the looks on everyone’s faces when they opened his gifts. This time, he’d been putting money away all year in an attempt to get something extra special for them. He hoped Holly liked what he had chosen for her. He was going to wait until after they were all in bed to add his gifts to the piles. He wanted to experience the looks on their faces when they saw the ones that had not been there before they went to bed.

  When he arrived back in the great room, Clare was bouncing all over the place, her eyes sparkling with excitement and happiness that had been missing last year. Ma’s eyes were shining as well. He put the baskets down and took his phone out of his pocket to snap some photos. He always wanted to see them this happy.

  “Wow, this is the largest Christmas we’ve ever had, and Holly has more gifts to put under the tree!” Clare was beaming as she took all the gifts in.

  “More? Holly this is too much.”

  “Speak for yourself, Mom. I can’t wait to open my share of these tomorrow. Are you sure we can’t open something tonight?”

  “Clare, we never open gifts on Christmas Eve.”

  Holly pulled three boxes out of one of the last baskets Preston had brought downstairs. “I hope you won’t mind, Tamra. I have a Christmas Eve tradition I was hoping to share with your family.”

  “What is it?” Clare clasped her hands together under her chin.

  “These are your Christmas Eve gifts.” She handed each of them a beautiful wrapped box that said, Open Christmas Eve.

  “Holly, you didn’t have to do this.” Tamra’s eyes misted.

  “I know, but it’s been a tradition in my family for years, and it just felt right. When the kids were little, they thought an elf named Jingles brought them.” She wiped some tears off her face.

  Clare opened hers first. “Mom, look. I got new pajamas. Holly, they’re beautiful.” She dropped the box and ran to Holly, pulling her into a big hug.

  Preston watched her face as she hugged his sister back.

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  “Are you kidding? I love them. I’ve never had anything like this.”

  Ma opened hers and he watched as her mouth opened and closed again. She looked up at Holly as she pulled hers out of the box. “These are beautiful, and blue is my favorite color. Thank you so much.” Preston watched as his Ma walked over and gave Holly a big hug. “Thank you.”

  “You are so welcome.” Her eyes turned to him as he opened his box. “Well?”

  “I love them. How’d you know my favorite color?” He pulled his out of the box, a handsome pair of grey and black plaid pajama bottoms were paired with a dark green, soft cotton shirt.

  “I just watched what colors you all wore the most and figured it out.” She sat down and nodded her head. “I’m so happy you all love them.”

  “Can I put mine on?” Clare was still feeling the soft, silky material of her lavender set.

  “Of course! That’s the idea. You’ll sleep better in your Christmas pajama’s.”

  Preston crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. This was the greatest gift, seeing Ma and his sister so happy.

  Chapter 22

  But the Prettiest Sight to See

  Holly sighed as she opened her eyes, stretched her arms, and reached for Preston only to find his side of the bed empty. She rolled over and scanned his room. “Preston?” Sliding out of bed, she slipped on her robe and checked the bathroom to find it empty. Great, now she had to open his door to see if his mother or sister were coming out of their rooms. Where the heck did he go?

  The door squeaked as she cracked it open and peeked out into the hallway. Holding her breath, she listened for any telltale sign of footsteps or floorboards creaking. She slid the door open far enough to slip through, closed it softly, and hurried on tiptoes to her room. She all but ran through the door and closed it swiftly behind her. Leaning against the door, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Her heart was racing, and she cursed under her breath. Glancing at the clock beside her bed, she realized it was already five.

  He must have gone to the barn to take care of the horses early. He should have woken her; it would have felt safer to leave his room with him there. She couldn’t believe her vacation was almost over and within a few days, she’d be home. Back to reality. She gathered her clothes for the day and took a shower. Once her hair was dry, she dressed and made her way down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

  Holly smiled when she heard the laughter flowing from the kitchen. “I can’t wait to open presents. Can’t we wake her up?”

  “No, we can’t. It’s early, Clare. She should be up soon. Just have patience. The gifts aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I know but I’m excited to see what I got, and I’m excited to see your face when you open my gift to you.”

  “Merry Christmas,” Holly said as she walked through the doorway. “How’d everyone sleep last night?”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too. I slept great. These pajamas are so soft. I think they did help me sleep better,” Clare declared as she looked down at her clothes.

  “I told you. I think there is a little magic in Christmas pajamas.” She gave Clare a hug before making her way to the counter to grab a mug of coffee. “I swear your coffee is the best I’ve ever had, Tamra.”

  “How’d you sleep last night? You look well rested.” Tamra pulled a large pan out of the oven and set it on the stove.

  “I slept great, which is surprising considering how excited I am.” She gave Tamra a tentative hug before taking a sip of coffee. “You have to tell me what you do that makes this taste so good.”

  “It’s our well water. Colorado is supposed to have some of the purest water. Heck, they use it to make beer you know.”

  “Everything tastes better here, but this coffee is outstanding. I’m going to buy some to take home with me.” Holly heard the door close to mudroom and the now familiar sound of Preston kicking off his barn boots and hanging up his coat. She turned to watch him walk into the kitchen, her breath caught at the sight of him smiling at her, his eyes twinkling.

  “Merry Christmas, ladies. The horses are taken care of and I see everyone has their coffee.” He kissed his mother’s cheek, gave Clare a hug, glanced at her, and winked. “Something smells good, Ma.”

  “Just made my breakfast casserole, easy and filling. Your sister is driving me nuts to start opening the gifts. Can you grab the rolls out of the oven, please?”

  “Sure. Holly, would you mind getting the butter?”

  “Not at all. I’m rather anxious to get to the gifts myself.” She giggled as she placed the butter keeper on the table next to the platter of fresh warm rolls. Her tummy growled, and she felt her face heat up from the blush when she heard everyone laugh. “I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.”

  “From the sounds of it, yes you are.” Preston chuckled. “Let’s eat so we can all get to those gifts we’re so excited about.”

  Once the breakfast dishes were washed and dried, they made their way to the great room. Holly’s breath caught at the sight of the twinkling lights on the grand tree, along with the fire crackling in the fireplace. She took out her phone and snapped some pictures, wanting to capture the moment to add to her memories of this glorious Christmas. She heard Clare gasp and squeal, her eyes wide with excitement.

  “How did all these gifts get here? Mom, are you seeing this?”

  “I am. My goodness, it wasn’t this full when I went to bed last night.” She glanced at Holly and nodded as her hand fluttered to her cheeks to wipe away some stray tears leaking from her eyes. “I think we’re going to have an amazing Christmas this year.” She grabbed Preston’s hand. “Son, would you mind handing out the gifts this year? I think I need to sit down.”

  “You sit and I’ll start. Clare why don’t you sit there on the floor that wa
y you can hand Ma her gifts.”

  Clare’s smile was catching, and Holly found her smile growing as well. When she peeked at Preston, he had that sexy grin planted on his face. Tamra was still crying softly, and Holly could tell she was hoping no one would notice. Preston leaned down and lifted one of Holly’s beautifully wrapped packages.

  “This one is for you, Ma.” He handed it carefully to Clare, who proclaimed it the most beautifully wrapped gift she’d ever seen before he handed her one from Holly. He picked one out of the pile and handed it to her. “This one’s for you, Holly.” He snagged one with his name and sat down. “Ma why don’t you go first?”

  “Let Clare go first. That girl is chomping at the bit.”

  Clare pulled the ribbon off the package and ripped the paper off. When she opened the box, she screamed as she pulled the soft, baby blue sweater out and held it against her. “Holly! I love it. It’s just like yours.”

  “It is.” Holly hugged her tight.

  Tamra opened her gift next. Tears fell again when she saw the lavender sweater. “Thank you.”

  She opened hers and it was her turn for tears. There in the box was a lovely teal blue, hand-knitted scarf. “Tamra, I love it. Thank you so much.” Holly pulled it out and put it around her neck, running her hand over the soft yarn.

  Preston cleared his throat. “Wow. This is amazing, Holly.” He removed the shirt from its box. “I’ve never seen a shirt like this.”

  “It’s one I designed.” Her heart was full that he seemed to like it so much. She could see the sparkle in his eyes.

  “We should get one of the shops in town to carry your stuff. It is so nice.” Tamra smiled. “I know the owner of one of the shops, and I think she’d love this. Would you mind if I asked? Can your stuff be shipped here?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  Preston watched Holly’s reaction to Ma’s comments. He saw sadness pass over her face. When she sat back and sighed, he wondered if she was thinking the same thing as him. He couldn’t stomach the thought of her walking out of his life or never spending another Christmas with her. He knew she had a life, but why couldn’t she have that life here with him?

  As each gift was opened, he could see how well she had gotten to know them in such a short time. Each gift was perfect for the person it was bought for, as if they had known each other for years instead of a few weeks. His hand moved to his pocket and patted the little secret package it contained. His heart thumped in his chest, wondering how she would respond to it.

  After all the gifts were opened, Preston looked around at all the smiling faces. “I think this was a wonderful Christmas. Maybe the best one ever.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Ma turned to Holly. “I want to thank you for all the lovely gifts you’ve given us. I don’t know how you did such a wonderful job choosing such perfect personal gifts like you did, but I want you to know, I genuinely appreciate it. Oh my, here I go again.” She wiped her hand over her eyes again. “I’ve been doing this a lot lately.”

  Holly stood and made her way over to Ma and stooped down to pull her into a hug. “Tamra, it’s understandable. It’s been a hard year for your family, and if I helped in any way, I’m glad. Umm, I’m not quite finished with the gifts.” Holly blushed as she stood up again. “Can you all wait here and give me just a couple of minutes?”

  Clare clasped her hands together. “More gifts?”

  “Clare! You sure are a greedy little brat today.” Preston chuckled. “Holly, you’ve done enough already.”

  “Just hold that thought.” She hurried from the room.

  “I don’t know what else she could possibly have for us, do you?” Ma blew her nose and tossed her tissue into a trashcan sitting near her chair before grabbing a fresh one.

  “I honestly don’t.” He looked up just in time to see Holly coming through the door with a large box and two smaller ones perched on top of them. Jumping up, he got to her just in time to capture one of the smaller ones that toppled off. “Whoa! You should have let me help you with those.”

  “Thanks for rescuing that one. Can you hand that to Clare, and give this other one to your mother?”

  He raised his brow. “Uh, that box isn’t for me, is it?”

  Holly glanced up at him, a beautiful smile spread over her face as her eyes danced with happiness. “It sure is. I didn’t want to bring these down last night, because I wanted them to be opened last. Since you all had already loaded the tree, I didn’t have anywhere to hide them.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

  Clare opened her gift first and held up a lovely silver charm bracelet. “Oh, I love it! Mom, look here. Look at these cute charms.” She held the locket out for his Ma to examine. “You really know me, don’t you Holly?” Clare whispered. “This is perfect. Thank you so much.”

  Ma opened hers next to find a silver bracelet holding some charms chosen just for her. “My goodness, I think you must have some special Christmas magic, Holly. I couldn’t have chosen anything more perfect to represent my life. Thank you.” She nodded and went back to showing her locket to Clare.

  Preston opened his box last to find a handsome black Stetson hat. The one he had been admiring every time he’s gone into town. “Darlin’, what did you do? How did you know?”

  “It just looked like you. But if you don’t like it, they said you could exchange it.”

  She winked and his heart sped up. Did she know what she did to him? He doubted she could know. He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling at a loss for words.

  He walked over, pulled her into his arms, and whispered, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she whispered back, pulling him a little closer before letting go and stepping back. “I’m so happy you all love everything. Just in case, I do have gift receipts.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  Tamra stood up, shaking her head from side to side. “Oh no, I don’t think any gift receipts are needed in my case. Thank you again, Holly. You’ve been a very special gift to this family.”

  “You all are very special to me.”

  Tamra hugged her and grabbed Clare’s shoulder. “Come help me in the kitchen, young lady.”

  “Do I have to?”

  Preston chuckled when he saw the look his ma gave her. “You better get a move on, sis, before she hauls you out of here.”

  “I’m going.” She hurried out the door behind Ma.

  “You are something else, darlin’. You’ve made this not only a bearable day but an amazing day for us. I don’t know if you’ll ever understand how much it means to me.” He turned and moved the screen from the front of the fireplace and poked the logs before he added another one. Without turning around, he sighed, “I have something else for you, and I’m nervous about it.”

  “What are you worried about?” She gently touched his arm.

  He turned and looked down at her upturned face. Her pretty brows were scrunched, and the corners of her mouth turned down. He leaned down and took her face in his hands, placing a kiss on each side of her mouth before kissing her full on her lips. “I hope this doesn’t spoil anything.” He pulled the little box out of his pocket. “This is for you.” Stepping back, he searched her face, wondering what was going through her mind.

  Holly glanced down at the small box as her hand fluttered to her chest. “Preston, what did you do?”

  “Open it.” He felt like his heart would stop while he waited for her to take the box from his hand. He swallowed hard as she looked down and gently removed it from his palm.

  She sat down and slowly unwrapped the gift, her fingers trembling as she pulled the box open. Inside that box was a blue origami box. She pulled it open and gasped as she pulled out the beautiful silver and glass locket. “Preston, this is lovely.”

  “I wanted to give you something so you would always remember this time we’ve spent together.” He squatted down and pointed. “You see here?” He touched the locket. “This is my heart. You filled it with love.” He pointed to the li
ttle charm that said love. “The moon and star are us. I added the blue crystals so you never forget the color of my eyes.”

  Holly glanced up as tears streamed down her face. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received. Oh Preston, I could never forget you.” She took his face in her hands. “If only…”

  He stopped her with a gentle kiss. “Hush now. No more words darlin’. Just let me love you for the time we have left.”

  Chapter 23

  You Better Watch Out

  The next morning while they ate breakfast, Preston lifted his head when they heard a vehicle pull up outside. “Who could that be this early in the morning? Ma, you expecting someone?”

  “No, and I’m sure none of your sister’s friends would show up this early.” She started to push her chair back from the table.

  “I’ll see who it is and what they want.” Preston shoved his chair back just as Holly stood up.

  “You all might want to see who it is.” She smiled as excitement flowed through her. “You too, Clare.”

  Preston glanced at her, his head cocked and brows scrunched down. “You know who it is, don’t you?”

  She nodded her head as she folded her hands in front of her. “I do. We should put our coats on.”

  After donning their coats and barn boots, they walked out onto the back porch in time to see Charles Thompson taking Harry out of his crate on the back of the pickup.

  “Hey Charles, what’s going on?” Preston hurried down the steps to shake his hand. “What is Harry doing here?”

  Charles smiled and nodded towards Holly. “Your little lady there wanted to surprise your family. This is one of your Christmas gifts.”

  “What?” All three said in unison as they turned to look back at Holly.

  “Merry Christmas.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I wanted to thank you all for being so welcoming of me, and I know you can use him.”

  “This is too much Holly,” Tamra said. “Too much. We can’t accept such an extravagant gift.”