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Chapter 95
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Holiday Hearts Chapter 96
Sam watched Evie survey the last few kids out and about. He was just about to turn off the lights and call it a night. Time for one last interlude with the woman he loved. Her song had haunted his mind all day. Likely it would the rest of his life.He saw the young teen walking alone and heard the car come around the corner far too fast. In the moonlight, his heart lurched as he saw Evie start to run.Sam vaulted the porch rail and nearly caught up to her just as she shoved the kid out of the path of the car.He was just close enough to see it strike her, to see her beautiful face as she screamed and fell.The car screeched to a halt and the driver burst out of the door as Sam frantically searched for Evie, calling her name.But all trace of her was gone. No blood marred the pavement.The kid picked himself up off the grass and turned. "What the fuck?" Eyes wide, he looked up at Sam. "Dude, you saved my life. But I could have sworn it was a chick."Sam swallowed hard. He remembe
Holiday Hearts Chapter 1
"I hate office Christmas parties." Shelby Carter crossed her arms on her desk and buried her face in them. "I want to finish up this damn end-of-the-year report, go home and forget all about the Holiday Card Company until after the holidays." She'd taken a vacation day for Monday, and Tuesday was Christmas Eve, so the office was closed. As soon as she left work tonight, she was actually free for almost a week."You and every other employee," Jana Pierson agreed, leaning in the doorway of Shelby's cubicle. Jana's desk was across the aisle - she was responsible for tracking product shipments while Shelby coordinated accounts receivable.Shelby nodded. "None of us want to go, but Mr. Holiday, Senior, still insists we show up, tug our forelocks and get presented with a new set of livery.""That's it, I'm cutting you off from historical romance novels," Jana said with a laugh. "Although, god, that's just about what it feels like sometimes. Wouldn't it be nice if they'd just hand us the b
Holiday Hearts Chapter 2
Shelby woke to the sound of bells. Soft, silvery, chiming bells.She tried to draw in a breath but found she couldn't inhale deeply. It seemed as if there was a tight band wrapped around her rib cage, constricting her chest. She tried to sit up and found her head spinning."Easy there." She recognized that voice with its faint Southern accent overlain with a hint of British. Strong hands gripped her shoulders and helped ease her into a seated position. Her eyes blinked open and she looked up into the stunningly handsome face of Noel Holiday.His eyes were the dark blue of an evening sky, his hair a true blue-black. High, strong cheekbones and a square jaw framed a face that would have been at home in a Renaissance painting, or on a Hollywood movie poster. Right now, those blue eyes were looking at her with concern as he tucked a couple of pillows behind her back to prop her up. "How do you feel?""Okay, I guess. Mostly confused. Did I pass out or something?" It was still hard to br
Holiday Hearts Chapter 3
Noel couldn't stand the look of fear in Shelby's pretty green eyes. Never mind that he was her boss, sort of, right now they were in this together and he was the only person she had to count on. He wrapped his arm around her corseted waist and pulled her close."I think so," he admitted. "I haven't finished looking around - I wanted to wait here until you woke up, but I have poked my head into the rooms adjacent to this one. They look almost exactly like I remember the miniature."She leaned into him and clutched at his hand with her own and Noel tried not to notice how smooth her skin was. "So, did somebody lace the eggnog with LSD, or what? Because these things don't really happen. I'm an accountant for goodness' sake.""Your guess is as good as mine, Shelby. My dad has always maintained that there's real magic in the holidays, but I never thought he meant anything like this." It was the only thing he could think of while he'd paced the room waiting for her to wake up. Somehow, th
Holiday Hearts Chapter 4
The lavish holiday dinner they'd glimpsed through the miniature window was still on the table in the dining room. Only now did he see that the table was set for two."The food is still hot," Shelby cried, holding her hand over the roast goose - at least that's what Noel thought it was. A bottle of wine sat in an ice bucket on the sideboard, a silver corkscrew beside it. Candles burned amid a centerpiece of holly, ivy and evergreen branches on the table."It looks like they've provided for everything we need to survive," Noel acknowledged. "I'm not sure if that's comforting or frightening.""A little of both," Shelby agreed. "It's kind of Alice in Wonderland, isn't it? 'Eat Me, Drink Me.' Do you think we should go see about the other buildings now?"Noel's stomach growled and he gave a reluctant laugh. "No, I think we should eat while it's warm. Christmas Eve is three days away and we don't know if we're stuck here until then, or if this is the only food we'll get."Noel held out a
Holiday Hearts Chapter 5
"What's it like working with your whole family?" They climbed the steps to the house and Shelby could almost feel the warmth radiating from inside. It was as if the house welcomed them back."It's nice, most of the time." Noel held the door and ushered her ahead of him. As soon as he'd closed the heavy oak portal, he helped her off with her cloak before doffing his coat. "We all get along and it's cool to know the company has been in family hands for over a hundred years."There were five Holiday children and each of them played an integral role in the company. Noel's brother Val managed the IT department while his sister Summer handled sales and marketing. Sam was in charge of the new holiday décor product line, while sister Star was the head writer for the greeting card division. Even their mom ran the personnel department. None of them threw their weight around, which helped make Holiday a reasonable place to work.And getting involved with Noel, even temporarily could ruin that. Sh
Holiday Hearts Chapter 6
The bedroom they seemed to have been assigned was obviously the master suite, with its attached sitting room and bath. The open door was one of the first at the top of the stairs and this time, it was the only room on this floor that was lit. Inside, a cheery fire crackled in the cast iron hearth and the gaslights glowed softly in their wall sconces. Noel carried her into the suite and set her onto her feet next to the high canopy bed."You need any help with those clothes?" he murmured with a suggestive glint in his bright blue eyes. "I'll be happy to assist."Shelby's laugh was a little bit breathless. "Yeah. Probably with almost everything. I'm not even sure I can manage my own shoes in this getup." She'd figured out how to go to the bathroom earlier, but even that had been a trick. Hoopskirts were a pain in the butt."Okay, shoes it is." He put his hands under her armpits and lifted her to sit on the bed before kneeling at her feet. The hoops stood up, blocking him from her view
Holiday Hearts Chapter 7
"What do you say we get out of these clothes?" Noel asked.Shelby grinned up at him, wire-framed glasses askew and her shiny hair half tumbled from its coil."I never knew you wore glasses," he said as he gently removed them and set them on the bedside table."Contacts," she admitted. With trembling fingers, she started to unbutton the jacket of her suit. "Apparently whatever magic brought us here, managed period-appropriate replacements. When I woke up, my contacts were gone. These glasses aren't mine, but the prescription is perfect."Just like his watch and everything else.Watching her fumble with her buttons, Noel brushed her fingers aside and took over the task. The snug, fitted jacket buttoned from waist to just above the swell of her breasts, and he couldn't help but notice how much better it suited her than the original version. When he had it fully opened, he helped her take it off. Nice as it looked, it really constricted her arm movement. And he'd thought his high, starched
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