A Heartwarming Christmas: A Boxed Set of Twelve Sweet Holiday Romances

by Melinda Curtis

  “Duty calls,” said Brad, his good friend and owner of the company Drew worked for. “Leave time is over. I need you back by week’s end.”

  Drew shook off his sleepy daze. “I thought I’d have a few more days.”

  “You did, until one of the major hydraulics on a new pump we installed in that village in Haiti went belly up. I need you to catch a flight out to fix it.”

  Never before had he hated hearing those words. Normally the idea of catching a flight got his adrenaline pumping, but not today.

  “I’ll get back with you on the details,” Brad said before signing off.

  Drew dropped his phone back on the nightstand. His time here in Christmas Town had come to an end. He’d found his mother. The journey was over.

  Flopping onto his back, he stared at the ceiling, wide awake. Now, he had new decisions to make. Decisions that included the beautiful blond he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

  ~*~

  At noon, Drew walked into Posey’s Diner. His mother waved, already seated at a booth. He strode across the room and slid into the bench across from her.

  He ordered coffee, clasped his hands and rested his elbows on the table.

  “You look so pensive,” Antoinette said.

  “I found out this morning that I have to return to work sooner than originally planned. I haven’t figured out what to do about Faith and me.”

  “Ask her to go with you.”

  “It’s not that easy. She has family obligations.”

  Antoinette leaned across the table to rest a hand on his. “True love doesn’t come around every day, Drew. Find a way to make it work.”

  “It didn’t work for you and my father.”

  “No. Because the circumstances were different. He had no choice but to leave and I couldn’t go with him. Is that the case here?”

  “She manages a Christmas store. It’s peak season.”

  “She doesn’t have help to fill in for her?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. Voiced his real concern. “What if she says no?”

  “And what if she says yes?”

  The waitress returned with his coffee. He added cream and sipped, stalling.

  “Let’s change the subject for a minute,” his mother said. She dug into her purse to remove a blue box. She set it on the table, ran a finger over the top. “I had this made for your father, but I never got the chance to give it to him.” She touched the velvet again before sliding it to Drew. “It’s yours now.”

  He looked at her, then the box. Hesitated. Took a bracing breath and opened it.

  Inside, on a bed of blue satin, sat a gold watch.

  He glanced at his mother.

  “Take it out.”

  He did, holding it in his hands to study the dial.

  “Read the inscription,” his mother urged.

  Drew turned the watch over to read the words, Our love. The greatest gift of all.

  “I intended to give that to your father when he returned.”

  Clearing his throat, Drew read the inscription again. “Love is a gift,” he said, voice husky.

  “If you love Faith, make things work, son.”

  He thought about Faith. Her dreams. How he wanted to make her happy. A slow grin curved his lips. “I want to give her the world, even if I have to start all over with her to make that happen.”

  “That’s the greatest gift, Drew. Giving the one you love what they need, no matter the cost to yourself.”

  He met the eyes of the woman across the table from him. “Wise words.”

  “Experience.”

  He swallowed hard. “Thank you. For everything.”

  “You’re welcome. Just promise me you won’t let Faith go.”

  “Even if I have to move here and figure out what to do next, she’s stuck with me.”

  ~*~

  Faith hurried to the diner, late for lunch with Drew and his mother. A customer had come in just as she was ready to leave, insisting on placing a custom order. Only Faith could help her, so she was stuck, glancing at her watch every few minutes until the order was placed. She hurried out right away, anxious to meet Drew.

  After seeing him with his mother last night, Faith experienced all kinds of mixed emotions. She was thrilled Drew had finally come to the end of his search, but at the same time, she knew he’d be leaving. He had a job, after all, one that couldn’t be put on hold indefinitely. And her family expected her to keep running the store. Which put them at square one, not knowing what to do next.

  They needed to decide where they went next in their relationship. Not knowing where, exactly, that would be, had her up all night, knots in her stomach. She had to get an answer today.

  She rushed into the diner, spied Antoinette and hurried over. “Sorry I’m late,” she said, removing her coat.

  “We were just finishing up,” Antoinette told her.

  Drew moved over, but didn’t say a word. The knots intensified.

  Antoinette’s glance hopped between them. “I should get going.”

  As she slid from the booth, Faith followed suit. Drew joined them, leaning over to kiss his mother on the cheek.

  “Don’t be a stranger,” she said, patting his arm.

  “Thanks again,” he said.

  She hugged Faith, whispering, “Give it a go,” before leaving.

  Faith glanced at Drew, brow drawn.

  He took their coats and a blue box from the table. “Let’s get some fresh air.”

  By the grim tone of his voice, she knew whatever he had to say was not good. She shrugged on her coat and fisted her hands in the pockets, waiting for the bad news to drop.

  Crossing Main, they headed to the town square. The tree, dressed in its glittering best, sparkled in the sunlight. Drew led her to the same bench they’d sat on a few nights before.

  She let out a breath. “Okay. Lay it on me. I can take it.”

  He chuckled. “You’d think I was giving you a bad medical diagnosis.”

  “Don’t sugarcoat it, Drew. You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

  “I got a call from my boss. I have to head out to Haiti soon.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “So, where does that leave us? I mean, I’m sure we can try the whole long distance thing, but I’ve never known that to work well. There’s Skype and we can talk on the phone, but−”

  Drew placed a warm finger on her lips. “Take a breath.”

  Right. She was rambling.

  “There are two options. One, you take some time off from the store and come with me. We’ll have an adventure together.”

  “Drew, I can’t leave. Not now. It’s almost Christmas.”

  “Or, there’s option number two. I quit my job. Move to Christmas Town and find something new to do. Maybe you can put in a good word with your boss? Get me a job?”

  “And have you give up the good work you do? No way, Drew.”

  “Even if I told you that I love you?”

  Her heart went still. “Repeat that?”

  “I love you, Faith.”

  “I can’t believe...this is so unexpected...” She met his gaze. “I love you too.”

  He dragged her into a kiss, which she wholeheartedly returned. Her chest, tight with happiness, reminded her there were still obstacles in their way. She broke the connection, ready to send him on his way, alone, until an idea forming in the back of her mind took shape.

  “You really want me to go with you?”

  A broad smile spread across his face. “Are you kidding? You shared your world with me, now I want to share mine with you.”

  “And I want to see everything you do.” She kissed him again, sweet and lasting. “I spoke to my sister the other day, telling her about you and our dilemma.”

  “So you’ve been thinking about it too?”

  “Ever since we met.” She grinned, full of barely contained excitement. “Hope can work it out with her schedule and offered to come home for a few weeks. I’m going to take her up on it.�
�

  His smile dimmed. “Wait. I have to leave soon. No way can we get you a passport, even if we expedite it.”

  She sent him a sheepish smile. “I already have one. I’ve had it for years, just in case.”

  He swooped in for another toe-curling kiss. After he’d gotten his fill, he pulled back. “It’s not a long trip, so we should be home in time for Christmas. We can visit my dad then come back here and celebrate with your family”

  “As long as we’re together. That’s all that matters.”

  “Then you and I, Faith Sullivan, are ready to see the world.”

  At last, her dream had come true. Only now, reality beat out her imagination, because she’d never considered traveling with the man she loved.

  She hugged him close. “Christmas gifts don’t get any better than this.”

  The End

  A Note From the Author

  Thank you for reading An Unexpected Gift, part of A Heartwarming Christmas collection. It was a pleasure to visit Christmas Town and bring you a story from the hearts of the residents living there.

  I am the author of sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming. The Business of Weddings series launched with Orange Blossom Brides, followed by Magnolia Bride and Honeysuckle Bride. Look for new releases in the series coming in 2016.

  I also write cozy mysteries for Annie’s Publishing. A Lady in the Attic was the lead book in the Annie's Attic Mysteries. Look for a new series I’m excited about coming in 2016.

  I write inspirational fiction for Abingdon Press and have five sweet romance releases with Montlake Romance, available through Amazon.

  To learn more about my books, please visit www.tararandel.com. or like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Tara Randel Books and follow me on Twitter at @TaraRandel

  A Gift of Home

  Cari Lynn Webb

  Copyright © 2015 by:

  Cari Lynn Webb

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  This book was built at IndieWrites.com. Visit us on Facebook.

  150921.175522

  Acknowledgment

  Thank you to my husband for giving me a home and my family for sharing it with me.

  Special thanks to Melinda Curtis and Anna J. Stewart for their friendship, endless encouragement and patience. I’d also like to thank Leigh Riker and Tara Randel for welcoming me into their POD. And to the Harlequin Heartwarming Authors, I’m so proud to be among such wonderful authors.

  Chapter 1

  Christmas was the season for wishing on stars and childhood fantasies. And Christmas Town, Maine was its playground.

  Fortunately, Hope Sullivan had grown up.

  Otherwise she’d be flocking alongside the other weekend tourists toward the town square for the charming winter wonderland spectacle with its Nutcracker worthy Christmas tree, eager for more Christmas magic. Instead she fled to her rental SUV and her sanity.

  She squeezed her son and wedged herself between a pair of oncoming strollers on the crowded sidewalk outside her family’s store, Comfort and Joy. Hot chocolate runs on December Sunday evenings in town were like the turnpike on a summer Sunday afternoon: gridlocked, slow and frustrating. Best avoided unless persuasive little boys with clever green eyes remembered a bribe: hot chocolate in return for one full night’s sleep in the new big boy bed - accomplished last night.

  She lifted Joel’s hot chocolate above her head and tucked him into her side. One more human barricade and they’d reach the loading zone where she’d illegally parked. She swerved around a double stroller, piled with shopping bags, but collided with a father, who more than met the NBA height requirement as he lifted his adorable elf-attired daughter onto his wide shoulders. The child’s snow-muddied boot smacked against Hope’s forearm. Hot chocolate and wet muddy snow splattered her arm and face.

  Hope never slowed and instead stretched her stride like a sprinter desperate to cross the finish line first. Only she encountered ice, not a blue ribbon. Her heel slid forward, her legs spread into a deep lunge. And her photo finish ended with her arm smacking against the door of their car and another hot chocolate arm bath. All in, not her worst finish and she gave herself bonus points for not dropping Joel.

  Joel shook a pair of red ribboned bells in her face and sang, “Mama got runned over by a car-deer.”

  Hope got run over by a single wide stroller, frantic shoppers, and her son’s sweet smile. She opened his door and helped him climb into his car seat.

  The back seat looked as if a popcorn storm had rolled through while they’d waited in line inside The Tea Pot. Her inner elf searched for a bag to collect the kernels from the convenience store they’d stopped at 100 miles ago. There was enough leftover popcorn to make a decent popcorn garland for the Christmas tree. She tossed a few pieces over her shoulder. She hadn’t come home to string garland, bake gingerbread families, or even sing carols to the neighbors.

  She’d come home for her son.

  “Excuse me.” A deep male voice cut into Joel’s caroling. “This is a no parking zone.”

  Hope turned to apologize to the helpful citizen of Christmas Town. But the thick navy jacket with a five point star and yellow sleeve patches drained the snap from her response. The fleece cap embroidered with Sheriff in bold yellow thread hijacked her voice. And the familiar green eyes that collided with hers took her back to a time when she’d been speechless with this man for an entirely different reason. “Christopher.”

  “Hope,” Chris said. “Heard you were coming home.”

  His indifferent tone knocked around in her hollow chest. She drank the hot chocolate, but it’d gone cold and left only a cold puddle in its wake. “My sister is off seeing the world, so I’m helping at the store for the next two weeks.”

  But their first meeting wasn’t supposed to happen during Hope’s first few minutes back in town.

  A bright red bell launched from the back seat like a flare into the unstable mountainside snow. The bell bounced on the sidewalk and landed near Chris’ black boots.

  He bent and picked up the bell.

  Time warped around Hope, stretching into slow-mo like when she’d been in the sixth grade and crashed her bike, flipping head first into the garbage cans huddled together on the street. She’d dragged her shoes, trying to slow down, trying to stall. Turned her handle bars. Even yelled. But the crash still came. Hard and consuming and painful.

  Chris leaned into the car. “Hey buddy.” Chris went still. Frozen lake still. Dead body still. Shock of a lifetime still.

  Chris looked at a smaller version of himself. Same chestnut hair, same stubborn chin, same green eyes. Only Joel’s eyes reflected innocence and joy and mischievousness. Somewhere in the past five years, Chris’ gaze had shifted into something harder, colder, more distant.

  “H.o.p.e.?” Chris said.

  She’d never heard every letter in her name pronounced in such a rough, precise rumble. A staccato beat that said there was anything but hope.

  She squeezed her eyes closed and inhaled. She could handle this. She was a lawyer. She’d prepared. Rehearsed. And planned. This was not the way their first meeting was supposed to go. Not even part of the outline. But she’d handle this. With eyes wide open.

  She pulled the bell from Chris, gave it to her son, and nudged Chris onto the sidewalk so she could shut the door. “We need to talk.”

  “I’m thinking we should’ve talked about five years ago.” He planted his boots and stared at her.

  “Well that wasn’t an option.” She crossed her arms over her chest and squeezed the cup.

  “That’s it? It wasn’t an option?” He buried his hands inside his jacket pockets, pulled his arms into sides, as if protecting himself from a zero below wind gust. Or maybe she was the wind chill he needed protection from. He dipped his chin inside his collar. “There’s always a choice.”

 
“Well, I made one.” He’d never looked at her with such a mixture of disappointment and anger before. Not even when she’d fallen into their snow fort and collapsed the whole shelter, ruining a week’s worth of effort. Not even when she’d stepped into that taxi cab in Vegas as she’d left him. Alone. “You made one too if I recall correctly.”

  He glanced around the sidewalk, seeming to take in too much with one passing glance. “Let’s go.”

  “I’m not pushing a stroller on these sidewalks.”

  “Neither am I.” He reached around her for the front passenger door of her car. “You’re driving.”

  She forced a smile into her words. “We’ll arrange to meet later.”

  “You’ve had almost five years to make all the decisions,” he said. “Now it’s my turn. Get in the car, Hope.”

  “Fine.” She stepped up to him, putting on her lawyer face, the one she used in court. She was here for Joel. Not herself. If he hated her, it didn’t matter. That cold hot chocolate sloshed around inside her, curdling around the lies she told herself. “We have car rules. No swearing. No raising your voice. No scaring Joel.” Or her. Not that he’d ever scared her. Maybe her heart once upon a time. But that was a long time ago.

  “I’m not my father.” He slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.

  She glared at the ease he used to get into the car, all long legs and arms. He’d always moved like a panther, comfortable in its own skin. She’d always moved like a drunk fairy, buzzed on too much spiked apple cider.

  She slipped into the hood when she stepped off the curb, dumped the last of the hot chocolate on the polished grill and steadied herself with the crushed cup.

  Once inside the car, she stuffed the ruined cup in the drink holder and looked first to her son, saw his wide smile, then to Chris. His expression was neutral. No frown. No grin. No tension twitched along his jaw beneath his close shaven beard. Not even the edges of his eyes creased like they’d used to when he’d tried to hide a smile from her. He’d always been aware of her, careful of her feelings. Now he looked through her.