EXCERPTS:
from Sweet Holiday Wishes by Melissa McClone...
“You cannot kidnap Lizzy, dude. That would be a huge mistake. Not to mention illegal.”
“What are you talking about, Dare?” U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Mitchell, aka Mitch, Hamilton sat in his car across the street from an apartment building. He appreciated his team leader Sergeant Darragh O’Rourke’s early morning phone call, but the guy had it all wrong.
“I’m surprising my wife with a trip to Indigo Bay for Christmas,” Mitch explained. “That’s not kidnapping.”
“It is if she doesn’t want to go.”
“She’ll want to go.” The words, however, rang hollow.
Once upon a time, Mitch would have been certain Lizzy would say yes to a surprise getaway on the South Carolina coast. Now, not so much. He hated how the truth gnawed at him.
Rangers lead the way!
Mitch hoped he got the chance.
“What’s your plan B if she says no?” Dare asked.
Plan B? Mitch had spent weeks figuring out how to get his wife back after she left him in October. She’d said she needed someone to take care of her for once. He thought he was doing that already.
He dragged a hand over his tired face. “Uh…”
“This is too important. You need a backup plan.” The words flew from Dare’s mouth like artillery fire. “I had one when I wanted Jenny to give me another chance. Didn’t need it, but it was worth renting that Bigfoot costume just in case.”
Dare and Jenny Hanford, a bestselling thriller author, had become an official couple in September while Dare was recovering from serious injuries after a helicopter crash. The two hadn’t been together long, but they seemed perfect for each other.
Mitch had thought the same thing about him and Lizzy when he married her three years ago.
“I don’t need a backup plan.” He glanced at Lizzy’s empty parking space. Her overnight shift as a registered nurse had ended nearly an hour ago. Where was she? “Lizzy has wanted to go to Indigo Bay since we met. She won’t say no.”
“If you say so.” Dare’s uncertain tone matched the way Mitch felt.
“I do. My bag is in the truck. The gas tank’s full.” Mitch wanted to sound confident. His guys counted on him to lead. He needed to appear strong and capable.
And he was those things when it came to him being a Ranger.
He’d faced terrorists and insurgents while deployed with his platoon from Fort Benning. He’d been ambushed, caught in firefights, and battled for his life. But waiting for his wife was taking his nerves to an all-time high.
He missed Lizzy.
He wanted her back in their house and in their bed.
“You’ve got this.” Dare’s serious tone suggested the younger sergeant understood what was at stake. “Remember, this vacation is about Lizzy. Show her how much she means to you. Make sure she doesn’t feel taken for granted.”
Lizzy had told Mitch she’d felt like nothing more than the person who took care of the house and his sexual needs. He didn’t understand because he thought their marriage was perfect. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Failure wasn’t an option.
He’d escaped from impossible situations before. Reconciling with Lizzy should be easier than getting himself and his guys home in one piece. She was his family. The most important person in his life. Maybe he shouldn’t have walked out of that stupid marriage counselor’s office in June, but what else could he do when Lizzy was blaming him for nonexistent problems? He hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Have fun wooing your wife. She won’t know what hit her.” Sincerity filled Dare’s voice. “Call if you need me. I’ve got your six.”
“Right back at you. Enjoy the holidays.”
“The gifts are packed, and the engagement ring is in my pocket.” Dare sounded like he was smiling. Given he was spending the holidays in Berry Lake, Washington with Jenny and a recently adopted kitten, he was probably grinning from ear to ear. “Have a Merry Christmas.”
Mitch tucked his phone into his back pocket. The silence in the truck’s cab pressed down on him.
A marriage takes two people to succeed. I can’t keep holding everything together any longer. I want a divorce.
Remembering Lizzy’s words made his shoulders sag as if he were wearing body armor and a seventy-pound pack.
Divorce wasn’t the solution. Mitch loved Lizzy. He needed her. No one had ever loved him like she did. As soon as they arrived in Indigo Bay, he would show her their marriage was fine and they belonged together.
from Sweet Reunion by Stacy Claflin...
Magnolia Kendrick jumped from the booth and darted between the tables, avoiding waiters and waitresses. She didn’t slow until she reached the bathroom. Closing the stall door behind her, she leaned against the wall and took in a deep breath of heavily-sweetened air.
That had been close. Too close.
Once her heart rate returned to normal, she exited the stall. An older lady shot her a glare. Probably because she hadn’t heard a flush.
Maggie flashed her a quick smile and went to the mirror to fix her makeup, though it didn’t need it. She only needed another minute or two to pull herself together before rejoining Aunt Lucille—the reason she’d fled to the bathroom.
Auntie had a good heart, bless her, but the woman couldn’t take a clue. Or a flat-out request.
Maggie would just have to try again. What other option was there? She lived with her great-aunt, who had tried to set her up with practically every eligible bachelor in Indigo Bay.
Now at Figaro’s, the restaurant owned by a distant cousin about half an hour from their town, Auntie was attempting another set-up.
Lord have mercy. It was almost enough for Maggie to head back home to Georgia—to the one place she could never show her face again.
Almost.
Maggie wanted nothing to do with a relationship of any kind. That was part of the reason she’d moved to Indigo Bay. A fresh start in a town where people didn’t know her problems.
She stood tall and practiced her smile. It was her best feature, unless she listened to the people who adored her too-thick and too-curly dark hair. Long as it was, it was a nightmare. But she hated the way she looked when it was shorter.
The bathroom door flung open. “Maggie!”
Maggie turned to find her cousin Savannah. It wasn’t unusual to find a relative at Figaro’s. “Hi, Savannah.”
“Auntie said you might be in here.”
Maggie put her makeup back in her purse. “Did she send you to find me?”
“She said you ran off like a chicken with its head cut off.” Savannah raised an eyebrow, clearly wanting to know more.
“Can’t a girl use the bathroom?” Maggie adjusted her skirt.
“Is everything okay, darlin’?”
It would be if Aunt Lucille would quit trying to set her up with every available bachelor within a twenty-mile radius of Indigo Bay.
Savannah stepped closer and put a hand on Maggie’s arm. “Everyone worries about you, you know.”
Maggie smiled as sugary sweet as she could. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. Hey, Auntie wasn’t talking to anyone, was she?”
Savannah fanned herself. “You mean that new server, Emilio?”
Wonderful. Aunt Lucille was probably planning Maggie’s date with Emilio at that moment.
“You don’t like him?” Savannah frowned.
Maggie sighed. “I don’t even know him.”
“I wouldn’t mind getting to know him. Did you see those eyes? Blue as a clear lake.”
“Must’ve missed those. Take care, okay? Say hello to Auntie Charlotte for me.”
“I will.” Savannah gave a little wave. “Tell me if you go out with Emilio. I want to hear all about it.”
Maggie forced a smile. There would be no date. She’d managed to avoid all of Aunt Lucille’s attempts. She could do it again. Maybe the tickle in her throat would turn into something more if she was lucky.
As her cousin headed for a stall, Maggie made her way out into the hallway. She’d far prefer to stay in the bathroom until lunch was over, but Auntie would just send more ladies after her until Maggie returned.
Maggie was so busy thinking about what she would say that she bumped into someone.
She looked up. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t—“
Her gaze locked with a familiar but nearly-forgotten set of dark brown eyes that appeared as surprised to see her as she was to see them. Maggie’s heart skipped a beat, then her pulse drummed through her body. Her cheeks warmed, heat spreading across her face.
Canyon Leblanc.
He still had the same effect on her he’d had so many years earlier, despite the fact that she’d nearly forgotten about him. Not because she’d wanted to, but because life had taken them their separate ways and they’d lost touch.
He was just as gorgeous as ever, if not more so. Tan, neatly dressed. His dark hair was longer than it had been so many years before—and it suited him.
A waitress rushed by, bumping Maggie and nearly throwing her against her old friend. He still wore the same aftershave.
A wave of first-love emotions shoved their way to the surface. Feelings that had overwhelmed her younger self but she’d never allowed herself to act upon. Instead, she’d pined for him.
Then he’d exited from her life.
Now things had changed so much. Too much.
No doubt about it—he was definitely more attractive now. He’d grown out of his boyish good looks and had matured into a ruggedly handsome man. His deep brown eyes sent a shiver to her very core.
Maggie took a step back so she couldn’t smell him. So she could think straight.
She didn’t have the time to get distracted by a handsome face—especially not the one in front of her.
They’d been staring at each other for too long. Someone needed to say something.
Maggie cleared her throat. “Canyon?”
He stared at her, his expression practically unreadable. “Maggie.”
She struggled to find words, so she cleared her throat again just to give herself another moment to think of something to say. “I didn’t realize you were back in town. Just a pit stop?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m back for good. Here for a job interview, in fact.”
“You are? I’ll put in a good word. My cousin owns the restaurant.”
“Really?” Canyon arched a brow.
Something about that simple act took her breath away.
She needed to get away, and quick. Preferably before Auntie saw him and tried to set up a date.
Maggie forced a smile. “I’d love to catch up sometime. I’m staying at Aunt Lucille’s. Pop in and say hi when you get a chance. We can have some tea or walk the beach like we used to.”
Why had she just said that? The last thing she needed was him surprising her for a visit, especially at home. Auntie would want to set them up.
Awkward.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay. It’d be real nice to catch up. I’d better get going. Interview in a few minutes.”
Maggie nodded. “Right. Good luck.”
Canyon headed down the hallway toward the offices.
She watched until he was out of sight then headed back to the booth where Aunt Lucille was nearly done with her meal. At least she was alone. Maggie had grown tired of thinking up excuses to avoid dates with the men her aunt constantly tried to set her up with.
“What took you so long, Maggie?” Aunt Lucille tugged on her perfectly-styled blonde hair and waited for a reply.
Maggie slid back to her spot. “I kept running into people. You didn’t have to send Savannah after me.”
Aunt Lucille dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “You’d been in there so long.”
She hadn’t, but rather than argue, Maggie took a big bite of her salmon.
“Emilio is free this Saturday afternoon.”
Maggie nearly choked on her fish. “Auntie, I appreciate your concern but—“
“But nothing. You aren’t getting any younger and you need to get your mind off the past. Isn’t that why you came to stay with me?”
“I’m twenty-four. There’s plenty of time to figure out what to do with my life.”
Aunt Lucille tilted her head and sighed. “Young people these days. You can marry rich and not have to worry about a career. In my day, ladies went to college to get their MRS degree.”
Maggie shoved a piece of broccoli into her mouth before she said something that would start an argument.
Auntie got a dreamy look on her face, then started talking about her late husband and their courting days. It may as well have been a hundred years ago, as far removed as it was from Maggie’s situation.
She fought back tears that threatened. Why couldn’t her aunt realize how painful all this was? Dating wasn’t going to solve Maggie’s problems. Getting engaged again certainly wouldn’t.
Maggie was done with men, period. She couldn’t take any more heartbreak. Once she figured out what she wanted to do with her life, she could focus on that. But that was the problem.
Nothing made her happy. She couldn’t escape the pain of her past no matter how hard she tried.
