Mary Kay Andrews Christmas Books Novels & Stories

The downtown area was similar to a lot of the towns Dak had visited recently, looking for the perfect place to start his new endeavor, but there was something slightly different about Christmas Falls, something special he couldn’t quite put his finger on. The Christmas decorations hanging from the lamp posts and strung around the trees were the same white lights, red bows, garland, and cartoony characters as everywhere else, seasonal flowers blooming from the flower beds while banners announced where he was and that he was welcome there, but an excitement seemed to hang in the air that he could only describe as a certain kind of Christmas magic he couldn’t ever remember encountering before.

She smiled widely as she covered her mouth again. "The last gift I gave to you was pink and I saw you like it so much so I decided to go all out with the color pink. I hope I didn't over do it. I'm not very good with decorations and all those things. I'm just trying my best here" Andrew said with a smile.

When Noah Levine came back, Christmas had already passed. I'd thrown that reindeer lingerie into a street trash bin. "Babe, I left in such a rush last night that I forgot to give you your Christmas present." He pulled out a sapphire necklace and swept my hair aside to fasten it around my neck. Because he leaned in so close, I could clearly see the red marks on his neck and smell the sickly sweet perfume that obviously wasn't his. Knowing the scent belonged to my own sister made my stomach turn.

As Samantha and Andrew are getting ready to leave, the children of the village come forward with a handmade book. It's full of drawings and stories, all about Samantha and Andrew's time in the village. The children have put their hearts into it, and it's clear that they've really taken to heart the lessons that Samantha and Andrew have taught them. The book is a beautiful gift, and Samantha and Andrew are overwhelmed by the gesture.

In the subsequent folder, a treasure trove of Christmas memories awaited: Jack playfully offering Sarah a Christmas cookie, Sun and Anja donning Santa hats, and a festive mulled wine gathering at the dorm. Following these cheerful moments were snapshots of her family celebrating around the Christmas tree, with Mom modeling a gifted coat, Dad proudly presenting a new tool, and Robert warmly embracing a hefty cookbook.

POV Emma “Put the Christmas tree more in the center of the room, love,” I said to Andrew. We were decorating the mansion for Christmas, I really loved this time of year, but we'd never had a full house on this date. It was just me and my dad, but now we were going to have a full family. Today was Christmas Eve, and I was proud of the beautiful work I was doing at my father-in-law Matteo's NGO. We distributed food, clothes and toys, and I knew that every single one of those things would make the children happy. I felt fulfilled.

It seemed as if she knew about my discovery and was playing safe. “Mommy, what is this?” Evan's voice snapped me back into reality. He was vigorously shaking a present I had just wrapped. It was wrapped in a blue polka dot wrapping sheet with a red ribbon around it. "Be a good boy or you will not get a Christmas present this year," I said, shaking his nose playfully. Evan giggled and dropped the present before running off. I smiled in delight before going back to what I was doing. Later that evening, Andrew got back home. He looked a lot better than the last time I saw him. He was slowly regaining his color, and the icy pale appearance was gone.

Eluding the call of a sire. Andrew appeared in his mansion library, his oasis, with a few high walls of ancient volumes, though mostly they were now a sort of decoration to set the scene. One simply logs in through one's device and either reads or listens to one of the thousands of titles, including mystical research manuscripts and scrolls. Maps, an ancient prophecy, and some of his collection. His library was a great place to study and learn about his kind and make new connections, and this oasis has provided a secret passage out to the woods behind his majestic mansion as its walls were protected and fully equipped with survival necessities.

“Who are you, and what did you do with my Grinch mate?” “I'm not a Grinch.” “You literally said Christmas was 'unnecessary human nonsense' three days ago.” “I've evolved.” Marcus and Connor exchanged amused looks. We spent two hours planning every detail. Elder Margaret's proposed menu made my mouth water. Diana's Secret Santa rules ensured everyone could participate regardless of financial situation. Christian's focus and genuine enthusiasm made me fall in love with him all over again. I taught holiday crafts to pack children in the common room. Twenty kids surrounded tables covered in paper, paint, glue, and glitter—so much glitter.

Back at Marion and Debra's engagement party, Andrew had almost stolen the spotlight with his extravagant gift. "The gift's already been delivered. Open it when we get back," Andrew replied.