The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride

by Jill Kemerer

  The horses turned onto the side street, thankfully still snow-covered, that led to the reception.

  “Are you ready to christen your building?” he asked.

  “I am. Let’s go!”

  As soon as they arrived, Clint jumped down from the sleigh and carried Lexi into the building to a round of applause. He placed her back on her feet and whispered, “Don’t be long, sugar.”

  She flashed him a grin and winked. Amy hustled Lexi up the stairs and out of sight. Clint couldn’t stop watching her the entire time.

  People were milling around on the main floor, soft music filled the air, and his best friends Wade and Marshall clapped him on the back. The only one missing was Nash, who had called Clint two days ago sounding devastated, explaining he had an emergency and couldn’t come to the wedding.

  “I couldn’t be happier for you, tiger.” Dottie dabbed her eyes and gave him a long hug.

  “Let the boy up for air.” Big Bob pulled her back then shook Clint’s hand. “Congratulations, son.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, direct your attention to the stairs.” Wade held the microphone.

  Clint took his spot—the same spot he’d stood in almost a year ago—and held his breath as Lexi descended. She’d never been prettier, and the mischievous smile on her face told him she was remembering their moment, too. She lifted her skirt as she came down, her other hand trailing the railing.

  When she reached the second step from the bottom, Clint swung her off her feet, twirling her until she stood before him. Everyone cheered.

  “You mesmerize me, sugar.”

  “You’re pretty easy on the eyes yourself, tiger.” She wound her arms around his neck. “What are you going to do now?”

  “Well, there is mistletoe.”

  She looked up. A branch of mistletoe hung from the ceiling.

  “You’re pretty sly, tiger,” she whispered. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve got?”

  He didn’t need to be asked twice. He kissed her, the first in a lifetime of mistletoe kisses.

  “Anything for you, sugar.”

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this story,

  pick up these other books by Jill Kemerer:

  SMALL-TOWN BACHELOR

  UNEXPECTED FAMILY

  HER SMALL-TOWN ROMANCE

  YULETIDE REDEMPTION

  HOMETOWN HERO’S REDEMPTION

  Available now from Love Inspired!

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  Keep reading for an excerpt from AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS by Belle Calhoune.

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  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed the first book in the Wyoming Cowboys series. I had so much fun researching ranches and Wyoming that I wish I could visit the fictional town of Sweet Dreams. Clint and Lexi are dear to me. Clint had been neglected and abused throughout his life, and it was no wonder he held himself to impossible standards. Raised in a home rich in love, Lexi found herself vulnerable and questioning her future at the prospect of being all alone in life. I loved watching these two bring out the best in each other even as they fought their insecurities and learned to trust God with their future.

  Clint’s best friends and foster brothers, Nash, Marshall and Wade, will be thrust on their own romantic journeys in the rest of the series. But love and trust doesn’t come easily for any of them. This Christmas, I pray that your past hurts are healed and that you spend time capturing the glorious reason for the season. You can be certain you have a Father who loves you, a Savior who lived, died and rose for you, and a Spirit who guides you. This love can’t be earned. It’s freely given. To you. To me. Merry Christmas!

  Blessings to you,

  Jill Kemerer

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

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  An Alaskan Christmas

  by Belle Calhoune

  Chapter One

  Finn O’Rourke paced back and forth in terminal 27A of the Anchorage airport. He looked around him, noticing the pine wreaths and red ribbons adorning the walls. The Christmas decorations provided a dose of holiday cheer. For the most part, airports were pretty stark places. He took a quick glance at his watch. His passengers should have met him here twenty minutes ago so he could fly them on the last leg of their journey to his hometown of Love, Alaska. A grumbling noise emanated from his stomach, and he knew it had nothing to do with hunger pains. Butterflies had been fluttering around in his belly ever since he landed in Anchorage. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous.

  Perhaps it had something to do with his client, Maggie Richards. Twenty years stood between himself and Maggie. A lifetime really. She was a mother now with a small child she was raising alone.

  She’d hired his brother’s company, O’Rourke Charters, and now he was flying her back to Love, where she would begin her new life, courtesy of her uncle, Tobias.

  Tobias Richards. He was the reason Maggie and her son were relocating to Alaska from Massachusetts. There was nothing like an inheritance to turn a person’s world upside down, Finn thought. Tobias had gone to glory with a few surprises up his sleeve. Finn had just found out he had also been named in Tobias’s will. Receiving the paperwork last evening had been a mind-blowing experience.

  Finn felt a twinge of sadness at the realization that his good friend was gone. He missed him terribly. Tobias had been one of the few people who’d truly understood Finn. And he’d gone out of his way to help him on multiple occasions. In fact, he was still aiding him from beyond the grave.

  Finn let out a deep breath. After all these years he was going to come face-to-face with Tobias’s niece, Maggie, his childhood friend. They had been as thick as thieves during her visits to Love when they were kids. Ancient history, he reminded himself. She probably wouldn’t even remember him.

  He grinned as memories of catching salamanders and skating at Deer Run Lake washed over him like a warm spring rain. They had shared secrets and explored caves and promised to be best friends forever. His friendship with Maggie had been special, and it had come to an abrupt end mere months before his entire childhood imploded. Perhaps it was the reason why those memories were engraved on his heart like a permanent tattoo.

  All of a sudden a woman came walking toward terminal 27A with a small child in tow. She had dark hair and appeared to be struggling with a large-sized piece of luggage. Her tiny companion was dragging a rather large duffel bag behind him. A feeling of familiarity washed over Finn at the sight of her. As she came
closer, there was no doubt in Finn’s mind about her identity. It was Maggie!

  Little Maggie Richards had matured into a beautiful woman, Finn realized. Despite the fact that he hadn’t seen her in twenty years, Finn would have recognized her anywhere. Those stunning green eyes and the chestnut-colored hair set in a heart-shaped face were quite remarkable.

  When she was within five feet of him, Maggie stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened. “Finn? Is that you?”

  Finn nodded. He smiled at her. All at once he felt like a little kid again. “One and the same,” he drawled. “Hey, Maggie. It’s nice to see you. Welcome back to Alaska.”

  He didn’t know whether to hug her or shake her hand, so he did neither.

  Maggie blinked and shook her head. “I can’t believe it’s you. I was expecting Declan.”

  “I work for O’Rourke Charters as one of the pilots,” Finn explained. He didn’t bother to mention he would soon be a co-owner of the company. Finn couldn’t imagine her caring one way or the other. As a widow and single mother making a new life in Alaska, she had bigger fish to fry.

  “You always did want to fly planes,” Maggie said in a light voice. “Up to the wild blue yonder.”

  Hearing his grandfather’s favorite expression tumble off Maggie’s lips startled Finn. Killian O’Rourke had taught Finn and his younger brother Declan to fly. Finn’s love of flying had come straight from his grandfather’s heart. Killian had been a larger-than-life personality and the most loving man he’d ever known. The ache of yet another loss tugged at Finn. There wasn’t a day in his life he didn’t miss his grandfather and the man’s steady influence and vast wisdom.

  He inhaled a deep breath. Being back in Alaska after roaming around the country for several years meant having to deal with the past. So far, Finn wasn’t sure he was doing such a good job of it. When he least expected it, old memories rose up to knock the breath right out of him. He shook the feelings off as he always did and focused on the here and now. Somehow he had to find a way to tell Maggie the specifics about his inheritance from Tobias. He prayed she wouldn’t mind too much.

  “Hi.” The little voice startled him, serving as a reminder of Maggie’s pint-size traveling companion.

  “Hey. What’s your name?” Finn asked, looking down at the small child standing beside Maggie.

  Maggie tousled the boy’s hair and said, “This is my son, Oliver. Oliver, this is Finn O’Rourke. A long time ago we were pals when I spent a few summers in Alaska with Uncle Tobias.”

  Finn stuck out his hand. Oliver looked up at his mother, then shook Finn’s hand once Maggie nodded her approval. “Nice to meet you, Oliver.”

  “Are you our pilot?” Oliver asked, his expression full of wonder.

  “Yep. I’m going to fly you and your mom to the best place to live in all of Alaska. There’s moose and bears and fishing and reindeer pizza. Not to mention we have sled dogs and the northern lights.”

  Oliver’s eyes grew big in his small face. “Whoa!”

  “Are you excited about it?” Finn asked in a teasing voice.

  Oliver nodded his head. “Mom says we’re going to have our own house. We never had our own house before. And she’s going to run a store.” He rubbed his hands together. “And the best part is, she’s going to find me a new father here in Alaska.”

  Finn felt his jaw drop. He swung his gaze toward Maggie. There was no doubt about it. Her expression showed utter mortification. He watched as she shot her son a look of annoyance. Oliver smiled up at her as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

  Finn reached out and grabbed Maggie’s luggage and Oliver’s bag. With a nod of his head he said, “Why don’t we go board the seaplane and get ready for takeoff?” He winked at Oliver. “Love, Alaska, awaits you.”

  * * *

  Once Maggie had settled Oliver into his seat on the seaplane, she sat down and buckled herself in. She couldn’t remember ever having traveled in such a small plane before. She might have felt a little apprehensive if Finn O’Rourke hadn’t been their pilot. Maggie knew instinctively they were in good hands. It was strange to feel that way since they hadn’t been in each other’s lives for quite some time, but Finn exuded an air of control and authority. And she knew he’d learned how to fly from the best—Killian O’Rourke.

  As the plane took off, Maggie felt a burst of adrenaline race through her veins. They were really doing this! She and Oliver were on their way toward a brand-new life in the small hamlet of Love, Alaska. Maggie needed someone to pinch her. It was a surreal experience.

  “Look, Mama. That mountain is ginormous!” Oliver’s chubby, chocolate-stained finger pointed at a spot outside the window. She reached into her purse for a tissue, then wiped his fingers clean.

  Maggie Richards chuckled at the excited tone of her son’s voice as he pressed his face against the window of the seaplane. She leaned in and tousled his sandy head of hair, admiring his hazel eyes and infectious smile. No doubt she was biased, but Oliver was one adorable kid, even though he’d caused her a world of embarrassment with Finn at the airport. The look on Finn’s face when Oliver had told him about getting a new father had been priceless. Finn hadn’t known what to say and he’d looked at her with confusion etched on his too-handsome-for-his-own-good face.

  Maggie hadn’t bothered to explain her son’s desire for a father in his life and her inability to convey to him that it wasn’t something she could order on demand. Somehow Oliver had gotten it into his head that Maggie was going to find him a new father. Nothing she said or did could convince him otherwise even though the last thing Maggie wanted or needed was a husband. Been there. Done that.

  Her heart ached a little bit as she observed her son. He’d been through so much in his young life. If she had one wish, it would be to build a stable, peaceful life for him. Maggie was determined to create a strong foundation for Oliver in Alaska, and she would do it on her own as a single mother.

  “Oliver, I’m not sure ginormous is an actual word in the dictionary.”

  Oliver turned toward her with confusion radiating from his eyes. He appeared crestfallen. “It’s a word, Mommy. Honest.”

  She pressed a kiss against his cheek. “I believe you, sweetie.” She reached for a napkin and wiped away the chocolate stains from the glass.

  As she turned her head to peer out the window, Maggie let out a gasp as the majestic, snowcapped mountains came into view. Oliver was right. The mountains were ginormous. And magnificent. She couldn’t remember ever seeing such a lovely vista in her entire life, even though she had traveled the world extensively before settling down to marriage and motherhood. How could she have forgotten this spectacular sight? Granted it had been twenty years ago, but some places deserved a lasting place in one’s memory.

  For most of the flight from the Anchorage airport, Maggie had been praying about this big move. Was she doing the right thing? By uprooting Oliver from their home in Boston she was taking him away from everything he’d ever known. On the other hand, she was determined to see her son grow up in a place where no one would judge him for his last name. Maggie had reverted back to her maiden name of Richards to avoid being blackballed. She had done the same for her son. He was now Oliver Richards. The town of Love wouldn’t know their family history. They would be judged on their own merits and not based on news reports or local gossip.

  Maggie let out a sigh. The last year had been devastating. Gut-wrenching. Her husband, Sam’s death had left them reeling and trying to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Her beloved husband had been shot and killed while holding up a grocery store. In the aftermath, the bottom had truly fallen out of her world. Everything she’d thought about her life had been shattered in one devastating moment. To this day she still found it difficult to wrap her head around Sam’s criminal actions or the fact that she’d been blind to them for so long.

&nb
sp; But with this relocation to the other side of the country, a whole new world would be awaiting them. Uncle Tobias had bequeathed her his home in Love, as well as his shop, Keepsakes, and a nice sum of money. It would allow them to have a fresh start. That’s what Maggie was calling it. She was relying on God to see them through the difficult weeks and months ahead. It wouldn’t be easy to re-create a whole new life, but she knew it was important for Oliver’s future and well-being.

  Finn’s voice buzzed in her ear through the headset.

  “We’re reaching our final descent. If you look out the window, you’ll see beautiful Kachemak Bay stretched out as far as the eye can see. You might remember it from back in the day, Maggie. It’s an Alaskan treasure.”

  Finn’s voice was just as attractive as the man himself. It had been quite a shock for Maggie when she came face-to-face with her childhood buddy at the Anchorage airport. He was all grown-up now. With his dark brown hair and emerald-colored eyes, he was a serious looker. No wonder the town of Love had been luring women from all fifty states to their lovelorn town. If all the men looked like Finn O’Rourke, it was no small wonder Operation Love was such a successful campaign. Not that she wanted anything to do with it. Her dating days were over.

  “It’s awe inspiring,” Maggie said into her mouthpiece. She turned and relayed the message to Oliver since he didn’t have a headset on. “Pilot O’Rourke just reminded me of the name of the water down below. It’s called Kachemak Bay.”

  Oliver wrinkled his nose. “Kacha what?” he asked. Maggie giggled at her son’s attempts to pronounce the difficult word. Honestly, she could gaze at him all day long given the choice. This little boy was the joy of her life. She couldn’t imagine how impossible it would have been to get through the past year without Oliver. Sam’s death, and the circumstances surrounding it, had brought her to her knees. Her only saving grace had been Oliver. Sweet, funny Oliver.