“I told her I wasn’t coming back.”
James sighed. “Is that what you still want?”
“I don’t know. If it were just Megan and me, it would be different. But if something happens between us and I left, Nora would be devastated.”
“How do you think Nora’s survived this long without you? She’s six years old. She doesn’t see the world like an adult. As long as she’s loved, the rest doesn’t matter.”
William ran his hand along his jaw. “She wants a dad.”
“What child doesn’t?” James said quietly. “You gave Lacey the best of who you were. She loved you. Don’t you think it’s time you did something to make yourself happy?”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. In the meantime, have a cookie.” James handed William the box and smiled. “You know what they say—the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It worked for your mom. Maybe it will work for you, too.”
“If that were true, I wouldn’t be sitting with you in Chicago.”
His dad chuckled. “Some of us are slow learners.”
William bit into a cookie and sighed. His dad might think differently than him, but he knew a great cookie when he saw one. And this batch was one of the best William had ever tasted.
Megan rinsed the last baking pan and stared through the kitchen window. Working from Sweet Treats was like opening a wonderful Christmas present each day of the week. Brooke and her staff were wonderful and the community of Sapphire Bay had welcomed her and Nora with open arms.
Everything would have been perfect if she didn’t miss William so much. She hoped he was enjoying his job and settling into his new life in Chicago. Some days, just thinking about how far he was from Sapphire Bay made her want to cry.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Brooke said from the kitchen doorway of the candy store.
Megan shook the doom and gloom from her shoulders. “I was thinking about Valentine’s Day. I’ve already had two cake orders and another three people are finalizing their designs. It could be hectic.”
“That’s what I think, too. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be working most weekends to meet demand.”
Nora looked up from her drawing. “I don’t mind. I like being at the candy shop.”
Megan smiled. “Especially when Brooke makes her chocolate fudge.”
Nora’s face broke into a smile. It was good to see.
“Mrs. Fraser came to buy some candy this morning,” Brooke said to Nora. “She said the library is having a pet day in a couple of weeks. The animal shelter will be taking lots of animals that you can cuddle. You should ask Megan if you can go.”
Megan sent Brooke a withering glance. A guinea pig, mouse, or fish she could handle. But Nora had her heart set on adopting a cat or dog. It was hard enough balancing her work in the bakery with Nora’s time at school. Goodness knew how they would get on with an animal in the house.
The tinkle of the store’s doorbell brought Brooke to her feet. “Work calls. Let me know how you get on with the library visit, Nora.” She smiled at Megan and left the kitchen.
Nora grinned and jumped off the kitchen stool. She opened her backpack and handed Megan a picture. “I drew this at school yesterday. Mrs. Fraser talked to our class, too. She told us about the animals she’s taking to the library. Can we go?”
Megan studied the drawing. Unless she was mistaken, she couldn’t see any animals in the picture. “Are you sure you’ve given me the right drawing?”
“I think so.” Nora stood on tiptoes beside the counter.
Megan showed her the picture.
“Oops.” Nora’s face turned bright pink. “That’s the wrong one.”
While Nora pulled everything out of her backpack, Megan looked more closely at the picture. Someone was getting married. The bride sparkled in a beautiful white dress and the groom wore a black superhero costume. Behind them, a little girl held a basket of…Megan squinted at the basket. Was that gingerbread men? Surrounding all three people was an enormous love heart and lots of stars.
She looked at Nora’s embarrassed face.
Megan didn’t know why she was…Oh, dear. “Nora, did you show this picture to William?”
“Not the real one,” she muttered.
“What do you mean?”
Nora slowly rose from the floor. “Mrs. Polanski showed me how to use the scanner. I emailed the picture to William.”
“What did he say?”
“That you’re the most beautiful woman in the world and I want to marry you,” said a familiar voice behind her.
The picture fell out of Megan’s hands. She spun around and stared at William. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m proposing to the woman of my dreams. Isn’t that right, Nora?”
“Yes, but you have to give Aunty Megan the roses,” she whispered.
“I forgot,” he whispered back. He walked across to Megan and held a bouquet of red roses toward her. “You were right. It’s too easy to look to the future and not appreciate the people around you. I’ve found my home with you and Nora, and I’d like us to be a family.”
Megan held the roses in her arms. She was so confused. “I thought…” She tried to make sense of what was happening. “What about your job in Chicago?”
“I’m transferring to the Polson office in two weeks. It’s not a management position, but I’ll be closer to you and Nora.”
“Your dad will be disappointed.”
William’s smile slowly disappeared. “Is this your way of saying you don’t want to marry me?”
Megan’s mouth dropped open. That was the last thing she wanted him to think. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I thought your dad was looking forward to living closer to you.”
“He is, but he doesn’t mind moving.”
“Tell Aunty Megan about Timmy,” Nora said excitedly.
A dull red blush spread along William’s cheeks. “I asked Sam and Caleb if they would foster the little kitten Nora saw at the animal shelter. I’m going to see him today. When I move to Montana, he’ll come and live with me.”
Megan looked into William’s eyes and sighed. “Is there anything you haven’t thought of?”
“Just this.” He brushed his hand along her jaw. “I was an idiot to think I could live a happy life without you and Nora. I am madly, deeply, and truly in love with you, Megan Stevenson.” William reached into his pocket and opened a small black box. “Will you marry me?”
Megan’s eyes filled with tears. The solitaire diamond ring was beautiful, but she wasn’t ready to say yes. Not yet.
She wrapped her arm around Nora’s shoulders. “What do you think? Should I marry William?”
Nora bit her bottom lip. “William said if he marries you, he’ll be my daddy.”
Megan nodded. “That’s right.”
“I asked Santa if William could be my daddy ’cos I love him. William was my Christmas wish.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“He’s special,” Nora said quietly. “He shows me how to do things and he knows when I’m happy or sad. I want William to stay with us.”
Megan knelt on the floor and hugged Nora. “I want that, too.” As she stood, she took a deep, steadying breath. One word, one simple, three-letter word would change their lives forever. “Yes,” she whispered.
William’s eyes widened. “Yes?”
She nodded and gently wiped the tears from his face. “I want to marry you and spend the rest of our lives together. I love you, William.”
He lifted the ring out of the box and, with trembling hands, slid it along her finger. “I love you, too.” And before Megan could take her next breath, William swept her into his arms and spun her in a circle.
Brooke stepped into the kitchen and sighed. “That’s so lovely.” She wiped her eyes and reached for Nora. “Your Christmas wish has come true.”
Nora grinned. “And I got the best daddy in the world.”
* * *
&nb
sp; THE END
Thank you
Thank you for reading A Christmas Wish. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did…
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Do you want to walk alongside Brooke as she finds her happy ever after? Keep reading for a sneak peak of Before Today, Brooke and Levi’s story. You can pre-order your copy today!
Before Today
Sapphire Bay, Book 4
Two years ago, Brooke Johnson left her past behind her and moved to Sapphire Bay. The quaint Montana town has everything she needs, including a store she’s turned into a candy shop. Her life is as sweet as the fudge she makes, until Levi Montgomery rides into town.
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Levi has spent too many years fighting a war that no one can win. He needs to rebuild his life, find some kind of peace in the aftermath of hell. When he arrives in Sapphire Bay, the last person he expects to see is Brooke. The tough, no nonsense nurse knows all his secrets, except the one that took him away from her.
* * *
As the sparks ignite between them, Levi's past comes back to haunt him. This time, he needs to trust Brooke before it's too late for either of them.
* * *
Turn the page to read the first three scenes of Before Today, Brooke and Levi’s story. You can pre-order your copy today!
Chapter 1
Brooke pushed open her bedroom window and filled her lungs with the sweet, tangy smell of pine and spruce trees. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of water gently lapping against the shore of Flathead Lake and the birds chirping their early morning wake-up call.
She smiled and leaned against the windowsill. There were lots of advantages to living above her candy store, and being able to enjoy the wonderful view was one of them.
Since she’d moved to Sapphire Bay, there wasn’t one day when the lake looked exactly the same. The color of the water changed with the mood of the seasons, rippling into life in the most unexpected ways.
If she’d had the time, she would have walked to the waterfront and watched the fishermen get ready for a day on the lake. But even though it was Sunday, she needed to go into work. With Easter just around the corner, she had far too many candy orders to fill.
As she turned from the window, she smiled. Mabel Terry was yelling a greeting to the man who delivered their milk.
Mabel and her husband, Allan, owned the only general store in Sapphire Bay. They sold everything from clothespins to chainsaws. Every major food group could be found on their old-fashioned shelves, and if their freezer didn’t hold enough supplies for the culinary challenged, Mabel took it upon herself to cook her customers a variety of freezer-friendly meals.
With a contented sigh, Brooke took a pair of jeans and a T-shirt out of her closet. It was time to have a shower, eat breakfast, and remind herself, as she always did, that today would be an amazing day.
It took a lot to impress Levi Montgomery. But today, sitting on his Harley in a picnic area above Sapphire Bay, it was easy to feel overwhelmed by breathtaking view.
Flathead Lake shimmered in the mid-morning sunshine, sparkling like a bowl of polished diamonds against a clear blue Montana sky. Across the lake, a smudge of charcoal and green rose into the air. The trees and craggy mountain range on the opposite side of the lake would be sheltering another bay from the icy wind sweeping across the water.
After almost a full day of riding, he was ready for a hot meal and at least twelve hours sleep. But he wouldn’t get either if the last person who’d stayed in Zac’s house hadn’t restocked the cupboards.
He raised his arms and stretched his stiff muscles. The coffee break in Butte seemed like a long and distant memory. It hadn’t done much to restore his energy, but he’d drunk enough caffeine to keep him awake for the last leg of his journey.
Next stop, Sapphire Bay.
According to his friend, Zac, the small town was one of the world’s best kept secrets. Levi knew all about secrets, only most of them didn’t come packaged in pine trees and lakeside views.
He just hoped the locals weren’t too worried about a stranger riding into town and making himself at home.
A dry laugh escaped his throat. It seemed ridiculous to call anywhere home, let alone a place he’d never seen. But there it was; the sense of wonder he hadn’t felt in a long time, the feeling that he was right where he needed to be and, maybe, where he belonged.
With one last look at the lake, he threw his leg over his bike and started the engine. There was only one road into town and he planned on getting there fast.
Brooke opened a container of fudge and grinned at her two friends. “What do you think of this option?” The smooth, rich, chocolate bars were a favorite with her customers at Sweet Treats, the candy store she’d opened a few months ago.
Megan sighed. “You know I can’t resist your chocolate fudge.”
As well as being her friend, Megan shared the kitchen in Brooke’s store. Not for making candy, but for creating some of the most amazing cakes Brooke had ever seen.
In three months, Megan would be marrying the man of her dreams in a small church in the center of Sapphire Bay.
Brooke had always been a firm believer in working to your strengths. Unless Megan and her fiancé needed someone to set a broken bone or wrap a bandage around a sprain, her next best strength was making the candy for the table favors.
Sam, Brooke’s other friend, tilted her head sideways as she nibbled on a small piece of fudge. “This is my favorite.”
Megan frowned. “What about the Russian fudge? It tasted really good, too.”
“This is a lot creamier and not so sweet. If you want a fudge that everyone will like, you can’t go wrong with this one.”
Brooke opened a drawer and took out a small, heart-shaped cookie cutter. “Instead of cutting the fudge into squares, I could make chocolate hearts.” She pressed the sharp edge of the cutter into the fudge and showed her friends. “If I wrap four fudge hearts in a piece of tulle and tie a ribbon around the top, you’ll have a yummy gift for each of your guests.”
“That sounds perfect,” Megan said. “But you’re as busy as I am. What if you make the fudge and I wrap it in the tulle?”
Brooke waved away her friend’s offer of help. “It won’t take me long to put everything together. If you let me know what color ribbon you’d like, I can order some from the general store tomorrow. Have you decided what type of wedding cake you’ll have?”
Megan reached for her sketchbook. “William really likes the hummingbird cake at Pastor John’s church. I thought I’d use that recipe to make a two-tier cake with cream cheese frosting. Nora wants pink roses cascading down one side and a black and white kitten on the other.”
Sam looked over Megan’s shoulder. “If you ever want to change careers, you could be an artist. The picture of your cake is amazing.”
“I’ve had plenty of practice. Making a drawing of a client’s cake is much easier than guessing what they want. That way, they aren’t disappointed when they collect it.”
Brooke turned on the coffee pot. “I’m surprised Pastor John is happy to share his recipe with you. He usually keeps his cookbooks under lock and key.”
Megan’s cheeks turned pink. “I had to do a deal with him for the recipe.”
“Are you going to teach a cake decorating class?” Sam asked.
“Sort of. He was looking for ideas for some new classes. As well as cake decorating, I suggested a candy making class and a workshop that teaches people about social media.”
Sam and Brooke looked at each other.
“And I take it we’re going to be the tutors?” Brooke asked.
“Only if you want to help,” Megan said quickly.
Brooke had already run a candy maki
ng class at the church. She knew how persuasive Pastor John could be, especially when he had the opportunity to add more classes to his program.
She took some cups out of the cupboard. “You can count me in, but I won’t be able to start until after Easter.”
Sam popped another piece of fudge into her mouth. “I’m in too, but the sooner I start the better. Caleb and I are getting married at the beginning of September.”
Brooke left the cups on the counter and hugged her friend. “That’s wonderful. I’m glad you’ve finally settled on a date.”
“It wasn’t easy, but we got there in the end.”
Megan grinned. “That will be two weddings in the next six months. Do you think we’ll make it three by the end of the year?”
“Don’t look at me,” Brooke said. “You’ll have to include Natalie if you want to make it three weddings. I’m too busy with my store. Even thinking about having a boyfriend turns me into a nervous wreck.”
Sam opened her laptop. “Don’t turn into a nervous wreck just yet. I want to go over some ideas for your new website.”
“Any improvements would be better than none.” Brooke turned the laptop around. The website Sam had been working on was simple, eye-catching, and included all the branding elements she’d asked for.
“This is fantastic. You’ve included everything we talked about.”
Sam smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I can design another website for Megan based on what we do for Sweet Treats.”
Megan stood beside Brooke. “It’s wonderful. Our customers will be thrilled when they can order their candy and cakes online.”
Brooke bit her bottom lip. “I just hope I can keep up with demand.” Her one fear was that she wouldn’t be able to make enough candy to keep all her customers happy. An easy solution would be to hire more staff. But more staff meant more expenses and, right at the moment, she couldn’t afford to hire anyone.
A Christmas Wish: Sapphire Bay, Book 3 Page 21