A Wedding for Christmas

by Rachelle Ayala

Imagine my surprise when we’d taken off for our family honeymoon and drove up a dirt road to the dilapidated old cabin at Tyler’s family homestead of Fort Manning.

  “This, Kelly, is your wedding present,” Tyler had said when we clambered out of the extended cab pickup truck. “Remember the last time you were here, it didn’t have a lock?”

  “Yes, but what’s there to lock up?” I smirked and rolled my eyes at him.

  “Go ahead and find out.” He took Arman from my arms and let the little guy smudge his nose against the dirty window.

  I should have noticed not a single pane was broken, and the wind wasn’t blowing through the house, but I wasn’t thinking. I was upset we’d driven so many miles to what I thought was a resort, only to end up at an abandoned cabin with no running water and no electricity.

  Boy, had I been wrong.

  Today, one year later, I couldn’t wait to spend Christmas and my wedding anniversary in this special place made by Tyler’s forefathers.

  “Mama, I can’t wait to race Matt’s grandfather again,” Bree says as I open the door to the no longer abandoned cabin.

  Brownie leaps from the tailgate, barking and jumping with glee. He loves the great outdoors, and he takes off running from fence post to post, sniffing and wagging his tail.

  I turn on the lights from the doorway. It’s cold, but Tyler will have a fire going in no time. I must admit, this is the best wedding present a woman can get.

  Despite the rustic exterior, Tyler had remodeled the interior and plugged up the gaps in the roof and walls, turning the cabin into a cozy hideaway.

  Instead of living in San Francisco, we’ve moved to a ranch near Loveland, Colorado where we raise cattle and grow hay and medicinal herbs. We also run a rehab for female veterans and offer them jobs as farmhands and cowgirls.

  Believe me, women can ranch and grow as well as men, much to the delight of the single farmers in the area. So much so that we recently constructed a wedding chapel onsite for all the romances that begin at our working ranch.

  Zulu and Hawa went through the program, and Zulu is now the publicity director for our ranch, while Hawa runs the childcare center.

  “I hear he got a Tesla.” I give my daughter a squeeze on her shoulder. She and Matt are another year older, and even though they no longer go to the same school, she still holds a torch for him.

  “My grandpa can still beat his Tesla,” she proudly proclaims, despite the fact Matt’s grandfather lets my dad win, so his grandson can kiss the girl.

  Two-year-old Arman and our dog, Brownie, run around the yard as a large SUV blows its horn.

  “It’s Matt!” Bree chases Arman down and holds him still on the driveway.

  The SUV parks, and Matt’s family spills out.

  Matt is growing by leaps and bounds, and he runs to Bree, giving her a bear hug. Tyler slaps Ford on the back, and I go back out to greet Sheryl as she loosens the car seat strap for their daughter.

  “Say hi to Auntie Kelly,” she says, taking Erica from the SUV.

  The little girl is thin, but she has a healthy pink in her cheeks, and her eyes are bright and observant. “Hello, Auntie Kelly. I’m big enough to play with Bree.”

  “You sure are.” I take her in my arms. Her hair has grown back into a fiery red set of curls, and as far as the doctors are concerned, she’s cured. Bree’s cells took hold, and Erica is now healthy enough to return to school and play with other children. “Bree, look who’s here.”

  “Erica!” Bree skips toward her cousin. “I have the biggest dollhouse. You have to come and see. The grownups think I asked Santa for a kiss, but I really asked for a big ol’ house.”

  The two girls chatter and run up the stairs to the loft Tyler built for the kids.

  “Come on, Arman,” Matt says, taking my little boy by the hand. “Let’s go throw rocks in the river.”

  Brownie barks and trots off after them, while Tyler and I talk with Ford and Sheryl. This year is going to be a Manning Christmas and the first one without my mother and sister.

  Ella took the job in London, and she invited my mother to the Cotswolds for an old English Christmas. After the New Year, my mother will be back to the ranch where she lives with us, welcoming newcomers to the rehab and teaching crafts and cooking.

  “You’ve done a lot of work on this cabin,” Ford says.

  “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Tyler says. He’s become somewhat of a history buff while restoring the cabin and kept historical items such as the original pump and wagon wheel at the entrance.

  We walk under a wood-burned sign hanging over the door that reads, “The Mannings.”

  “Looks like the Mannings are back in Fort Manning,” Ford says.

  Tyler points at the framed picture of his parents’ grave markers hanging near the door. “We never left. Mannings never give up.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Thanks for reading A Wedding for Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to miss little Bree, Kelly, Tyler, Brownie, Ella, Kelly’s mother and little Arman. Their story embodies the Christmas spirit, and I love sharing their family traditions and enjoying the holidays with them.

  Their story started two years ago with A Father for Christmas, where Bree picked out Tyler to be her father. Last year, in A Pet for Christmas, Tyler fights for his life to make it back home in time for Christmas. He brings Brownie back, and Arman is born right after Tyler comes home.

  We’ve seen how this little family struggled with the pressures of modern life and Tyler’s issues with PTSD, and how faith and love pulled them together and made them closer and stronger than ever.

  Even though their main story is over, I hope to meet up with the Manning/Kennedy family again with future romances set at their ranch. Meanwhile, I’ll let them enjoy their well-deserved happy ending.

  >>><<<

  “… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

  Reading List

  Romantic Suspense

  Chance for Love Series

  Broken Build, Build engineer Jen Jones falls in love with the man whose life she ruined.

  Hidden Under Her Heart, A young nurse, Maryanne Torres, struggles with a difficult decision over an unwanted pregnancy.

  Knowing Vera, Playgirl Vera Custodio belatedly discovers that her father might have killed her boyfriend's mother many years ago. [2015 Angie Ovation Award Winner]

  Contemporary Romances: Sánchez Sisters Series

  Taming Romeo, Medical student Evie Sánchez is recovering from heartbreak when she runs into the boy she left behind.

  Claiming Carlos, Restaurant manager Choco Sanchez finds herself caught between two hot men, an epic food fight, and a war to save the restaurant.

  Jewells in Love Series

  Whole Latte Love, Carina Chen, a career-oriented young woman, has no time for distractions—especially the sexy, guitar-playing barista she rooms with.

  Jingle Belles Christmas Series

  Christmas Flirt, Bad girl Lacy Reed gets more than she bargained for when her naked selfies turn up on her boss’s phone.

  Santa’s Pet A brilliant girl genius plays elf to a substitute Santa and turns both their lives upside down when he is charged with a sex crime and she loses her company to hackers.

  Bad Boys for Hire Series

  Bad Boys for Hire - Ryker Terri Martin gets caught in the middle of a motorcycle club vendetta when she tries to hire a biker for her birthday date.

  Bad Boys for Hire - Ken

  After Jolie Becker is left at the altar, her friends secretly hire a hunky beach bum to cheer her up.

  Bad Boys for Hire: Nick, This Christmas, paraplegic Carol Cassidy is caught between the naughty and the nice: a hired Santa and a disabled firefighter.

  The Remingtons

  The Remingtons: Leap, Laugh, Love, A pro surfer on holiday after being attacked by a shark gets tangled up with an Army Ranger on leave with a mission.

  The Remingtons: Blush of Love

  A hot New Year's Eve
date with bad boy Gunner Gibson leaves Safire wondering if it's love at first blush.

  Sweet Romances

  Christmas Stray A couple grieving for their son is snowed in with a stray puppy and a little boy. Is there room in their hearts for a Christmas miracle? [Gold Award Winner, 2016 Readers’ Favorite]

  Deck the Hearts, A Christmas Creek Romance

  Can Holly’s jolly Christmas spirit help Grinchy Gordon Gills save the town of Christmas Creek?

  Her Christmas Chance: A Christmas Creek Romance, A woman with cerebral palsy and her tomcat disagree about the attractive ex-con living next door. Will a dose of Christmas magic reach through his dark secrets?

  A Veteran’s Christmas Series

  A Father for Christmas Sweet romance between a homeless veteran and a single mother whose daughter asks Santa for an unusual gift. [Gold Award Winner, 2015 Readers’ Favorite]

  A Pet for Christmas A veteran suffering from PTSD fights to return from Afghanistan and give his family their Christmas wishes.

  A Wedding for Christmas A Christmas wedding seemed perfect for Kelly and Tyler, until a female soldier from Tyler’s past and the man who fathered Bree make requests that cannot be ignored.

  Have A Hart Romance Series

  Christmas Lovebirds Can two little lovebirds and Christmas cheer open Melisa’s heart to giving Rob another chance?

  Valentine Hound Dog A fashion designer and her basset hound puppy convince a burned ex-firefighter that beauty is never skin deep and neither is love.

  Spring Fling Kitty A stray cat shows a fire chief and his fiancee’s sister that doing the wrong thing is sometimes right when it comes to love.

  Sports Romances

  Played by Love, A soccer star dons nerd glasses to score a anime fangirl who won't date jocks.

  Roaring Hot! A playboy motorcycle racer hires an aspiring actress when he is challenged by his grandmother to bring a real girlfriend to her birthday party.

  Intercepted by Love, A quarterback hiding from his Super Bowl losing interception meets a small town librarian with an active fantasy life.

  Sapphire Falls World

  Going Haywire, Vampires, zombies, and wolves, oh my! Honey’s vacation with her ex-husband goes haywire when he tries too hard to get her back.

  Going Toe to Mistletoe, Candi’s fed up with love and down on her luck. Troy gives advice to the lovelorn, but it hasn’t done his love life much good. Will a small town Christmas wedding open their hearts to love?

  Laguna Beach

  Lucky in Laguna Scriptwriter Lucky Lenigan regrets writing dog walker Tally Tallahan into a reality show as another man’s love interest.

  Rattler’s Baseball Series

  Playing the Rookie, A rookie pitcher and a sports intern on the rebound connect to get over their exes.

  Playing Without Rules, A ballplayer's girlfriend hides his daughter from him because she fears he's like his abusive father.

  Playing Catch, A baseball catcher meets his match with a troubled bartender who can’t seem to keep her panties on.

  Historical Romance

  Michal’s Window, The young Princess Michal loves her father's enemy, the upstart David who becomes king.

  Many Thanks

  My sincere gratitude goes to all of the readers of A Father for Christmas and A Pet for Christmas. I have come to love the Kennedy and Manning family through reading your reviews and chatting with you about them, and I couldn’t wait for them to conquer all their challenges and become the family they were meant to be.

  Many thanks to my awesome group of beta readers who gave me their feedback and support to make this story the best that it can be. Thanks especially to my best writing buddy, Chantel Rhondeau, who questioned parts of the storyline and helped me create the best story I could possibly write.

  A heartfelt thanks to beta readers and friends: Alicia Klick, Amber McCallister, Angelica Berglund, Angi DeMonti, Ann Olsen, Barb C, Cathy Brockman, Cathy Zaramba, Dianne Kenes, Ella Gram, Frances Hampton, Gina S., Kris Woltzen, Melissa S., Patricia Conley-Shepard, Phylis Carpenter, Rebecca Austin, Sophie Koufes, and Terri Merkel

  Thanks also to Kimberly Dawn, my awesome proofreader, for making time and doing the final polish.

  Rachelle Ayala

  I am a USA Today bestselling author who loves the magic of the Christmas season filled with family and the spirit of giving. From romantic suspense to sweet contemporaries, I write from my heart and love to include children and pets in my stories. My stories range from steamy to sweet, so be sure to check the Reader's Guide at my website at http://rachelleayala.me/reading-guide/ and find my books at most online retailers.

  Sign up for my Newsletter http://bit.ly/RachAyala to keep in touch and get news of upcoming books, projects, and events.