Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge: New Holiday Romances to Benefit St. Jude Hospital

by Sabrina York

  He got down on one knee.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Exactly what it looks like I’m doing. I’m proposing. I’m not sure how it will work with

  us. Your life is in Seattle and mine is in Europe. I don’t even have a ring, but I’ll get one. The biggest one you want. Just tell you’ll marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.”

  She knelt opposite him, overflowing with tears. “Of course, I’ll marry you and I don’t need a fancy ring. I just need you.”

  She melted into his arms and felt his lips capture hers. Warm and exciting, the promise of a happily ever after story that had just begun. Snow fell around her dusting the trees like powdered sugar and somewhere in the music of the wind she heard her aunt’s laughter.

  THE END

  Also By Pam Binder

  Christmas Knight

  November 6, 2019

  Young adult Novel

  Grace Logan and the Goblin Bones

  Matchmaker Café Time Travel Series

  Match Made in the Highlands

  A Bride for A Day

  Falling in Love with Emma

  Thief of Hearts

  www.pambinder.com

  About Pam Binder

  First came Pam Binder’s imaginary friend – a dragon – when she was three. Five years later the precocious child tumbled down a flight of stairs and had a near-death, out-of-body experience. And always, in the background, influencing the girl who would one day become a nationally bestselling author was her eccentric, artistic grandmother. During Binder’s formative years, New Orleans’ Irene Zollinger took delight in exposing her granddaughter to the joy of the arts and the mystique of the historic French Quarter.

  Looking back, Pam Binder knows that, by the time she was nine years old and attending New Orleans’ 200-year-old Ursuline Academy, the die was cast. As a result of these unique, early life influences on her impressionable mind, she was destined to cultivate her God-given talent as a writer, in a most unusual style. One day she would gift readers across the country with unique stories richly textured with time-bending flights of fantasy, other-worldliness and a reverence for history.

  This trademark style of Binder’s fiction has enabled her, early in her career, to achieve bestseller success that most writers only dream about. An anthology containing a Pam Binder story – a time-travel novella that swept readers from present-day Edinburgh to medieval Scotland – scored on the prestigious New York Times bestseller list in December 2000. That novella, amazingly only her third published work of fiction, would give notice to readers and booksellers that they could count on her for stories that stretched the imagination – and made them chuckle. For the niche she has carved for herself in women’s fiction, RT BOOKclub has dubbed her, “The New Queen of Highland Time Travel.”

  “My mom grew up in New Orleans, where she met my dad when he was stationed there in World War II,” explained Binder, who now lives in Issaquah, WA. “I was lucky to spend my early years in the French Quarter, under the influence of my Grandmother Irene Zollinger, who lived on Napoleon Avenue. Deeply engrossed in the arts, she was a poet, painter, had an operatic quality voice, played the piano and was listed in Who’s Who of American Women. She also had very definite opinions about what women could achieve if they set their minds to it. When we moved to the Pacific Northwest and I wrote to her, she sent my letters back with the spelling and grammar corrected, each time with five dollars for the ‘kitty’ she insisted every woman should have.”

  No doubt Binder’s grandmother would be delighted to know that today her manuscripts arrive on her New York editor’s desk fastidiously self-edited. Unfortunately, Binder’s grandmother died before her protégé sold her first novel, THE INSCRIPTION, in 1997, to a small press. THE INSCRIPTION is the story of a contemporary American teacher who is swept back into the mystery, romance and adventure of 16th century Scotland. There she meets her destiny with a clan of immortals, who are convinced she is the embodiment of an ancient Celtic legend.

  Binder broke into the highly competitive world of commercial, paperback fiction after Liza Dawson, an agent she met in 1998 at a Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference, read Pam’s first novel non-stop on the flight back to New York. “I found myself laughing, enjoying it,” the agent recalls. As a result, Dawson phoned Binder the next morning and offered to represent her. The agent soon sold the mass market paperback rights of THE INSCRIPTION and Binder’s second hardcover medieval time travel, THE QUEST, to Pocket Books.

  THE QUEST finds a Celtic sorceress casting a spell to conjure up a warrior who must do battle to free her mother. But the warrior she gets isn’t the legendary hero she expects but the star quarterback for Seattle’s professional football team. Laced with humor, THE QUEST was a finalist for two prestigious honors: RT BOOKclub’s Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Innovative Historical Romance and the Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America Booksellers’ Best Award for Outstanding Time Travel Novel.

  Binder’s third novel, THE ENCHANTMENT (Pocket Books, September 2001), is also a Highland time travel that helped her identify the recurring theme in her novels, “Time is an illusion, and love, the only reality.” Based on Celtic lore, the theme is not only a literary vehicle for Binder but a personal belief as well.

  A stickler for authenticity, Binder has traveled to Scotland and Ireland, where she has conducted research. Her fascination with historical matters, and perhaps with the covert-type adventures which also characterize her books, began when she moved to Aberdeen, Washington, at age 17. There she took three history classes from the same teacher, who was rumored to be a CIA agent, working undercover.

  “He was a brilliant man,” Binder remembers. “As he lectured, he showed us slides from literally every country in the world, which he had traveled, and the history of all those countries came alive for me.” The summer after Binder graduated, she read in the newspaper that the teacher was murdered on a train on his way to France, “and I thought maybe the rumors about him were true after all!”

  Binder continued to study history at the University of Oregon and married in 1968. “Writing was always easy for me, but it wasn’t until I got to college that I realized I could write differently from other people.” After a hiatus to raise her three children, Binder attended a romance writers’ conference “That’s when I told myself, ‘This is silly. You need to be writing.’” She subsequently enrolled in commercial fiction writing classes at the University of Washington’s extension division. In 1997, her novel, THE INSCRIPTION, was published by Goodfellow Press. She now serves on the advisory board for the University’s writers’ program.

  Binder and her husband of 33 years are the parents of three grown children. Like their parents, the Binder offspring are athletic and academically gifted – and blessed that mom and dad have been active in their children’s school systems. Pam recently resigned from the post as office manager for Chinook Middle School to write full time. When not writing, she enjoys snow skiing, reading and hiking. Currently, she is working on her fourth novel, NOW AND FOREVER, a romantic time travel set in medieval Ireland.

  Christmas in Snow Valley

  Christmas in Snow Valley

  Hometown Christmas Novella (Book 1)

  Tammy L. Grace

  Praise for Tammy L. Grace

  “This sweet novella will have you dreaming of the magic of the Christmas season. It's a romantic and adorable celebration with the people of Silver Falls...and a return visit with the characters from the first book in the Christmas in Silver Falls series, A Season of Hope. I am in the mood for Christmas after reading this endearing book.”

  — sadiebug, review of The Magic of the Season: A Christmas Novella

  “A Season of Hope is a perfect holiday read! Warm wonderful and gentle tale reflecting small town romance at its best.”

  — Jeanie, review of A Season for Hope: A Christmas Novella

  “This book is a clean, simple romance with a background story very si
milar to the works of Debbie Macomber. If you like Macomber's books you will like this one. The main character, Hope and her son Jake are on a road trip when their car breaks down, thus starts the story. A holiday tale filled with dogs, holiday fun, and the joy of giving will warm your heart.

  — Avid Mystery Reader, review of A Season for Hope: A Christmas Novella

  “This book was just as enchanting as the others. Hardships with the love of a special group of friends. I recommend the series as a must read. I loved every exciting moment. A new author for me. She’s fabulous.”

  —Maggie!, review of Pieces of Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel (Book 4)

  “Tammy is an amazing author, she reminds me of Debbie Macomber… Delightful, heartwarming...just down to earth.”

  — Plee, review of A Promise of Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel (Book 3)

  “This was an entertaining and relaxing novel. Tammy Grace has a simple yet compelling way of drawing the reader into the lives of her characters. It was a pleasure to read a story that didn't rely on theatrical tricks, unrealistic events or steamy sex scenes to fill up the pages. Her characters and plot were strong enough to hold the reader's interest.”

  —MrsQ125, review of Finding Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel (Book 1)

  “This is a beautifully written story of loss, grief, forgiveness and healing. I believe anyone could relate to the situations and feelings represented here. This is a read that will stay with you long after you've completed the book.”

  —Cassidy Hop, review of Finally Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel (Book 5)

  “Killer Music is a clever and well-crafted whodunit. The vivid and colorful characters shine as the author gradually reveals their hidden secrets—an absorbing page-turning read.”

  — Jason Deas, bestselling author of Pushed and Birdsongs

  “I could not put this book down! It was so well written & a suspenseful read! This is definitely a 5-star story! I'm hoping there will be a sequel!”

  —Colleen, review of Killer Music

  Book Description

  Fifteen years ago, he broke her heart. She never moved on. Will a little Christmas magic bring them back together?

  After leaving Snow Valley behind for college and a life in New York City, Emily returns to her small hometown to spend Thanksgiving with her sister. Her sister has to leave town, forcing Emily to extend her stay and coordinate the mayor's annual Christmas Tree Party at the Mistletoe Lodge.

  Emily hasn’t heard from the boy she thought was “the one” since the day he walked out of her life. When he walks back into it, while she’s in the midst of prepping for the holiday party, she’s shocked. She’s prepared to give him a piece of her mind, but when she sees the man before her, more handsome than ever, her resolve evaporates.

  A beautiful lodge, a massive snowstorm, and two lovable dogs might be the perfect catalyst for the two of them to confront the past and rekindle what they thought was lost.

  The best-selling author of women’s fiction and sweet Christmas romances delivers a new touching small-town holiday novella perfect for readers who enjoy heartwarming characters, dogs, and second chances. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, curl up in front of a warm fire, and escape to Snow Valley this Christmas.

  1

  The line at the security checkpoint reminded Emily why she hadn’t been home for the holidays in the last ten years. Growing up, Snow Valley had been the center of her universe, but since her parents had passed away, the thought of returning only depressed her. How could she look at all those familiar places and not think of them and everything she’d lost?

  Sara invited her every year, and every year she came up with a reasonable excuse—the expense, the weather, work deadlines—to avoid a trip across the country during the most miserable time of the year to travel. This year, her sister had begged and pleaded so much that Emily acquiesced and agreed to come for Thanksgiving. Now, amid a sea of hurried travelers, screaming toddlers, luggage that would never fit in an overhead compartment, and grumpy security workers, she regretted her decision.

  Knowing the day before Thanksgiving was always the busiest travel day, Emily had given herself plenty of extra time to deal with the crowd at JFK when she left her apartment in the East Village. Her roommate, Rachel, was spending Thanksgiving with her family in Vermont and had left yesterday. Most of the people who lived in her apartment building were young students or, like Emily and Rachel, career-focused and willing to put up with cramped quarters to live in Manhattan.

  As she waited in the slow-moving line, Emily took in her surroundings, committing details to memory. When she agreed to this trip, she submitted a story proposal to an editor she knew, and he had given her the green light for a holiday travel piece. Her laptop was charged, and she had plans to write on the nonstop flight to Seattle.

  By the time she got through security, she was starving. She gritted her teeth and paid the exorbitant price for a pastry and coffee. As she sat in the waiting area, her phone chimed with a text from Sara checking on her flight. She tapped in a quick response, saw the boarding process had started, and turned it off.

  Thankful for the window seat she had snagged, Emily settled into the narrow space on the packed flight. She watched the parade of people come down the aisle, wrestle with their oversized bags and stuff them into the compartments, and get up to let others access a window seat. It was chaos. Why hadn’t the airlines figured out how to make the boarding process more efficient? She tapped her keyboard with her latest observations.

  They waited on the tarmac for what seemed like hours before the plane was cleared for takeoff. Emily was already exhausted and still had more than six hours to go before she would land in the Emerald City. It would take over an hour to reach her hometown from there, and that was if the road wasn’t icy. Snow Valley lived up to its name in the winter months.

  She worked on the holiday article for much of the flight and dozed toward the end of it, jolting awake when the captain announced their descent into the Seattle area. She stared out the window, taking in the snow-capped mountains dotted with trees, squinting to see if she could make out Snow Valley from the air.

  Like the airport she had left behind in New York, this one was bustling with holiday travelers. She made her way to baggage claim and saw Sara and her husband, Mike, searching the crowd. Emily sucked in a breath. She almost didn’t recognize Mike. He looked so much older than she remembered. Emily was ten years younger than her sister, and Mike was a couple years older than Sara, so the abundance of silvery threads in his dark hair made sense.

  Tears stung Emily’s eyes as she gazed upon her sister, who hadn’t yet seen her, wearing a stylish blue cape and boots. Sara, with her thick brunette hair still worn just past her shoulders, reminded Emily of their mother, which stirred up lots of memories and the horrible sense of loss she had felt since the day her mom died. She blinked to clear her vision and took a few steps forward. Sara spotted her, grinned, and waved her hand high above her head, grabbing Mike and pointing at Emily.

  Sara’s gorgeous blue eyes twinkled, and as soon as she was within reach, she engulfed Emily in a long hug. “Em, we’re so thrilled you’re here. I can’t believe it.” Emily savored the embrace, comforted by the familiar scent of Sara’s favorite perfume—citrus and jasmine with a touch of vanilla. She held her hand and admired her from head to toe. “You are so beautiful. Isn’t she, Mike?”

  Emily touched her fingers to the messy bun that held her thick chocolate hair. “I’m a bit of a mess after my flight.”

  Mike threw his arm around her. “You are as gorgeous as ever. Glad you’re here, Emily. It’s been too long.” He gestured to the baggage carousel. “Point out your bag, and I’ll grab it for you.”

  Sara linked her arm in Emily’s as they watched the line of luggage. “The kids decided not to come home for Thanksgiving this year. They’ll be here for Christmas but didn’t want to make the long trip twice. We’re going to video chat with them tomorrow.”

  Emily had a ha
rd time believing Sophie and Jake were all grown up and almost finished with college. The last time she had seen the twins, they’d been ten years old. She’d seen photos of them and kept up with them on social media, but being here, being home, made her yearn for long ago days. Everything had changed. She was surprised at how uneasy it made her feel.

  Mike retrieved her bag and took charge of guiding them to the parking lot. He clicked a remote, and the lights on a fancy SUV blinked. He stowed her bag and carry-on tote in the back, rearranging things and tossing in his overcoat to reveal a polished suit and tie underneath. He held the rear door for her while Sara climbed into the front. Emily sank into the comfortable seat and savored the rich scent of leather.

  Sara turned in her seat to face Emily. “I came into work with Mike today and did a little Christmas shopping. Thought I might as well make good use of my time.” She blinked those eyes that could have been their mother’s and added, “Are you okay with eating in Snow Valley, or do you want to stop somewhere? I know it’s later for you, and you’re probably hungry.”

  “I’m fine with waiting,” said Emily. “I always eat late.”

  “Perfect. I made reservations at The Grille.”

  Mike hit the brakes and said, “If this traffic cooperates, we might make it there on time.” Like most of her colleagues, Emily spent very little time in a car, had a driver’s license she hadn’t used since she moved to New York, and couldn’t afford to park a car even if she owned one.