Mistletoe Inn

by Jacquie Biggar

  Mistletoe Inn

  Jacquie Biggar

  Wavefront Publishing

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  Preview Silver Bells

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Jacquie Biggar

  Copyright © 2018 by Jacquie Biggar

  This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

  Praise for Jacquie Biggar

  Crazy Little Thing Called Love

  A touching, heartwarming story that takes your breath away.

  Characters that will have you feeling so many emotions. It deals with family, misunderstandings, ranch life, horses, life long love and of course Pumpkin the cat.

  Tony and Sophia’s story had me laughing, crying and a bit frustrated with them at times. To me that is good writing when I can be moved to so many emotions while reading . The story is so good, I couldn’t put it down.

  B

  With This Heart

  Such a sweet heartwarming romance about second chance love between two people who are obviously meant to be together. You won’t want to put this story down until you’re finished reading.

  This is a wonderful series. Those of you who love military romance, wounded warrior romance and romantic suspense will love the stories written by this super talented, fabulous author!

  Tammy

  Maggie’s Revenge

  The first comment I can easily make here is: MAGGIE'S REVENGE punched my 'WOW' button!

  Magdalena Holt goes rogue and deep undercover for the DEA... Fast forward: > Olga, a once teenage prostitute, and four others are captured by 'sex traffickers', put in a 'mud pit' basement. After several attempts, beatings, torture, and a lot of action, the group of five make their escape...

  The suspense is staggering as 'Maggie' and her tattered and broken group valiantly withstand the vagaries of the Mexican compound and hell-hole, escape, and then await the DEA to recover them. Maggie wants to get home and bring down the most evil man she has ever known...a criminal and terrifying clown named Chenglei.

  The romantic component in this exciting novel involves Maggie's partner and agency member, Adam O'Connor, who the boss fears will jeopardize rescue efforts because he is 'too close' - with his feelings for Maggie.

  MAGGIE'S REVENGE is masterfully written and a 'must read' for the 'mystery and suspense' book lovers! The novel would also make a great movie! It's been a while since I've seen this 'theme' in movies...of course, I only watch an occasional TV movie.

  Julie Gehrandt

  For my Family

  Without them, I am nothing.

  Tracy Petit won our Name the Movie contest with Fresh Fiction and would like to dedicate the story to her high school sweetheart and husband of almost thirty-five years, Bobby.

  Passion is the springboard of a romance, but true love is the day-to-day support and companionship that bridges time.

  Also, I want to dedicate this story to all those ‘beasts’ who feel themselves unworthy of a happy-ever-after.

  You are beautiful.

  True love stories never have endings.

  Richard Bach

  Introduction

  A grieving man finds the greatest gift is love in this heartwarming holiday romance.

  Molly McCarty needs a new beginning after a disastrous divorce. When the opportunity to invest in a bed and breakfast appears online in Christmas, Michigan she's intrigued.

  A snow storm derails her travels and leaves her at the mercy of a grim stranger- who turns out to be her new partner!

  Noah Kincaid loses his parents in a tragic fire that leaves him scarred inside and out. He's raised by a great-aunt and is devastated when cancer takes her life. But vowing never to care about anyone again is hampered by his troublesome new partner and her son.

  Will a Christmas miracle bring three lonely hearts the gift of love?

  Chapter 1

  Molly McCarty white-knuckled the steering wheel of her compact car and peered through the blinding snow. The weatherman had forecast possible flurries later this evening. Not only was his timing wonky, but she’d passed the flurries halfway around the lake and was now into full-on whiteout conditions. The two-lane road had narrowed to one with deep ridges that threatened to pull her car into the steep banks. She’d followed a semi to the turn, but he’d disappeared into the hypnotic swirl and now she was on her own.

  Her and Leo.

  She hazarded a glance into the rearview mirror and was relieved to see her son sleeping, his head propped against the door with Teddy as a pillow. God, she wished she’d listened to her mother and waited to make the trip. The chance of a fresh start had proven too big a temptation, and now they were in serious danger of going into the ditch and freezing to death. She gasped back a sob. The few sideroads they’d driven by looked worse than the one she was travelling on when the storm hit. If the lodge didn’t appear in the next few miles she was going to have to assume they were lost, though with her car being white, she didn’t think it would be a good idea to pull over and wait for the blizzard to end.

  “Mommy, I don’t feel so good,” Leo’s plaintive voice amped up her already tense nerves. He’d been complaining of a sore throat and tummy before falling asleep. She’d hoped the rest would help, but the raspy breathing suggested it was getting worse.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see him rubbing his eyes and sniffling. “Use a tissue, honey. It won’t be long now, I promise.”

  Please, be right. Please.

  “That’s what you said hours ago. I wanna go home,” he whined.

  Guilt reared its ugly head. If only she wasn’t such a screw-up… “I know, baby, but think of this as a grand adventure, okay? Once we get to the lodge and all settled in, I’ll run you a warm bath and we’ll read your favorite storybook before bedtime. Does that sound good?”

  “I guess,” he said, his chubby arms holding Teddy close. “Why is it so dark out there? It’s spooky.”

  The trees were unnerving in this muted light. Leo had been born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in the suburbs. He’d never seen a world without streetlights before. One more reason why this was a good decision. But, she had to get them there safely to prove it.

  “Where’s Daddy? I want my daddy.” He whimpered, the stress of leaving everything he knew and loved behind, combined with his illness, overwhelming.

  Molly gritted her teeth and kept her gaze glued to the road when her heart ached to pull over and comfort her child. Even though they’d been divorced almost two years, Jason remained an active part of the family, his love for Leo undeniable. He’d understood her need to take this opportunity to move on, but he wasn’t happy. She’d promised he could visit any time, and of course, Leo could stay with him during the holidays. She didn’t want to consider how lonely she’d be during those absences.
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br />   Suddenly, a deer darted across the road only feet from the front of the car. Heart pounding, she hit the brakes and swerved, realizing too late that was a mistake in these icy conditions. The little car tried valiantly to hold the road, but the tires lost traction and then they were spinning out of control and heading straight for the towering dark forest rising up to meet them.

  Molly screamed at Leo to hold on just before her head slammed into the steering wheel and everything went black.

  Chapter 2

  Noah Kincaid leaned on the shovel he’d been using to clear the driveway and took a breather. This was the third time today, and the snow showed no signs of letting up. If his new partner didn’t make it soon, she wouldn’t get through.

  Wood smoke drifted on the crisp air and reminded him of the cozy fire waiting inside the big, old house he’d grown up in. It was still hard to believe his great-aunt was gone. She’d been a driving force in his life for so long, he didn’t know what he was going to do without her. He could barely remember his parents. Aunty Betty had raised him after they’d died in the house fire that left him scarred down his left side.

  “Blaze, where are you, boy?” He gave a sharp whistle and frowned when the groan of the forest was the only thing to answer him back. It wasn’t like the Shepherd to disappear when they were outdoors. Normally, he was right underfoot. “Blaze,” he called again.

  Damn dog, where was he?

  There wasn’t a lot of traffic that ever traveled up this road, but still… Blaze’s dark coat blended into the shadows created by the giant spruce and pine trees. He’d hate to see his dog injured if he left him out here.

  He sighed and lifted the collar of his winter jacket. Guess the fire could wait a few more minutes. “You’re lucky I like you, dog,” he said, trudging down the path he’d shoveled. Another inch or two had already come down, covering the toes of his sturdy boots. Normally, he enjoyed the outdoors this time of night. The snow danced around him while the silence welcomed introspection. Except, he didn’t want to think about the past few months. The helplessness followed by anger, then resignation. His aunt had faced her future with quiet bravery and grace. Not him. He’d ranted against fate, the doctors, even God, for all the good it did. She was still gone, and he was once again alone.

  “Blaze, I’m going to leave you out here for the wolves if you don’t answer me,” he shouted. His stomach did a nosedive. What if something had happened? Surely, he’d have heard his dog’s cry for help. Nevertheless, he picked up his pace and whistled once more.

  Suddenly, there was a faint yipping in the distance and Noah broke into a run, careful to keep to the side of the road where the snow wasn’t packed down and slippery. He wouldn’t be much help if he landed flat on his back. Blaze’s excited yips grew louder and as he rounded a bend in the road he saw why. A small car had gone off the road and plowed into the snowbank, its front end crumpled like a sardine can.

  Damn tourists, thinking they could handle winter conditions with summer tires and no experience.

  As he drew closer he could see a dark shape slumped over the steering wheel and his pulse skyrocketed. Cell reception was poor on good days, in a storm like this…

  “Okay, boy, I’m here. Settle down. You did good.” He patted the dog’s head and nudged him out of the way. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.” The shape hadn’t moved at the sound of his voice, but the car was still running so he had to assume the person hadn’t been there long.

  He edged up the bank, using the wrecked vehicle to keep his balance and was almost to the driver’s door when he heard a cry that froze his blood.

  There was a child in the car.

  He gave a last glance at the driver, then turned his attention to the back seat. He used his hand to clear the snow-covered window, then tugged his frozen gloves off with his teeth before digging into the deep pockets of his down jacket for the cell phone. Just as he thought, no bars. But, it did have a built-in flashlight and he used it to peer in through the back window.

  A pale face with tear-streaked cheeks stared back at him, a teddy bear clutched in his arms.

  “Hang on,” Noah called, pasting what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his lips. “I’ll have you out in no time.” The boy gaped at him, eyes swimming with moisture. Noah tried the door, it refused to budge. He pointed to the lock, but the boy was scared and didn’t move. There was no way Noah would be able to open the door without breaking the window.

  “Listen,” he said to the child, hoping he could hear through the glass. “I’m going to break this window. Can you hear me? I need you to cover your head.”

  No response.

  He left the child and searched the ditch until he found a snow-covered boulder he deemed large enough to do the job. Blaze seemed to sense the boy’s terror and stayed by the car, his nose pressed to the glass.

  Noah carried the rock to the car, then called his dog. Blaze whined but did as he was commanded. As soon as he was clear, Noah hefted the rock and threw it at the window. It bounced off and went rolling into the ditch. He looked at the kid and made a motion to cover his own head, hoping he’d get the idea. It took a couple more tosses before there was a crash and the glass gave way.

  He hurried over, reached in to flip the lock and opened the door. The interior light came on and he could feel the heat thanks to the car not stalling out after the crash, so at least they were warm. He brushed the glass off the seat and leaned in to check the kid, who had thrown the teddy bear over his head.

  “You okay?” he asked, lowering the stuffed animal and doing a visual inspection of the child. A gash on the right cheek and a bump on his brow, but otherwise he seemed to be all in one piece. “Do you want to meet my dog? He loves kids.” He had no idea if Blaze did or not. They’d never been around children much, but with the way the boy perked up, it was worth a shot. Blaze was as gentle as they came, the kid would be safe enough with him. “I’m just going to check on your parent, okay…? You got a name?”

  “Leo,” a timid voice replied. “But Mommy says I’m not ’posed to talk to strangers.”

  Noah’s gaze went to the driver again. A woman then.

  Molly came to slowly, Leo’s voice coming to her through a fog. Her head and shoulders hurt worse than the time she’d gone skiing with Jason and lost her balance. She’d gone head over heels down the steep descent until the pole strapped to her wrist caught in the snow and dragged her to a halt. After Jason assured himself she was relatively unharmed he’d laughed and called her his Abominable Snow Girl.

  “Ma’am, can you hear me? Are you injured?”

  She stirred at the male voice coming from behind her seat, then wished she hadn’t. Ow, ow. There’d been a deer, she remembered that much. She’d yelled at Leo to hold on, and then… Leo. She forced herself to lift her head, turning it carefully and blinking against the light coming from the back seat. What the…?

  “Leo,” she whispered, then cleared her throat to speak louder. “Leo, baby, are you okay?”

  “He’s fine.” That voice again. “We’re more concerned about you. Don’t move, I’m coming around to your door now.”

  “There’s a puppy, Mommy. He’s licking my hand,” Leo squealed.

  Molly winced at the shrill pitch and shivered as cold air entered the car. A weight landed gently on her back and proceeded to lightly check her shoulder blades and spine before moving up to her neck and collarbone. She tried to turn and see who their rescuer was, but he stopped the motion.

  “No, stay still until we know you haven’t injured your neck,” he warned in a raspy undertone that raised goosebumps. “Your child is fine, a slight bump on the noggin, that’s all. My dog is keeping him company. I’m going to see what I can find to fashion a collar for your neck and then we’ll get you out of here. Sound good?”

  Molly swallowed tears and gave a slight nod. She desperately wanted to hold her son, but that would have to wait. At least she could hear him chattering away in the back seat, it gave her a
small measure of comfort.

  “Y… yes, thank you,” she told the stranger, grateful he’d happened along the stormy road. “D… do you live around here?” Shock was setting it, causing her teeth to chatter. She never had handled emergency situations very well.

  “Just up the road a piece. Won’t take long once we get you fixed up,” he said absently from the rear seat. Strange that she missed the warmth and security of his hand on her back. “Here we go, this should work.” He got out and came around to her door again, an imposing dark shape. “I’m going to wrap your son’s scarf around your neck and use a book I found for a brace. Hang on.”

  He didn’t give her any time to prepare, quickly getting the job done with a minimum of discomfort. “There,” he said, then paused. “Your car isn’t going anywhere, you hit that bank pretty hard. I’m going to run home and grab my vehicle. I’ll be back before you know it, okay?” He waited until she nodded. “I’ll leave Blaze, my dog, here for protection—though there’s no reason you should need it, you’re perfectly safe. Stay strong, okay, Mrs.…?”

  “McCarty. Molly. You can call me Molly,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed.

  He spoke loudly, she suspected on purpose. “Okay, Molly. You hang in there, you hear me? Hang on.” He squeezed her arm, and then he was gone.