Vicki Delany Christmas Books In Order Novels & Stories

She looked up at me with sorrow in her eyes, and I don’t know why but it made my heart flutter at the sight of her. "It's not your fault." I said to her, smiling slightly. "She was the reason I looked forward to Christmas every year. I used to love the thought of it and prepared gifts for everyone with meticulous care. But with her gone..." "I guess it makes sense now that you hate Christmas." "Maybe it does." I sighed. "Christmas reminds me of Sophia. I'm not the Grinch…but I have my reasons." "Of course not." Kathleen finally gave a small smile. “You’re way too handsome to be the Grinch.”

I blinked at the sound of his question, snapping out of my reverie. “Y–yeah,” I stuttered out a quick response, cursing under my breath nonstop at my foolish mistake. I was unconsciously drooling over my ex-husband, how pathetic. “I came to deliver these before the munchkins wake up, but I see you beat me to it,” I said, nodding towards the half-empty dish of the delicious cookies to distract him from noticing what had just happened, and he chuckled. “You keep forgetting that I'm Santa,” he winked, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, and I shook my head, ignoring the kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach from that one simple action.

Lately, I had indeed gotten sick quite a lot. With the end-of-year financial audits piling up, I'd been working overtime constantly and not eating regularly. As a result, my immune system bore the brunt of my poor habits. Still, I thought it was all worth it. I'd managed to hit all my targets and delivered flawless data by the end of the year. My colleagues agreed that I, Yvonne Lawson, had the best shot at a promotion the following year. Never, however, did I expect my efforts would become ammunition for my own mother to tear me down.

The wind howled outside the old Victorian house, rattling the windows as snow piled high against the panes. It was Christmas Eve in Willow Creek, and Emma Harper had returned from the city for the holidays, hoping the familiar scents of pine and cinnamon would mend the ache of another year alone. At twenty-nine, she was a freelance illustrator, her life a whirlwind of deadlines and empty takeout boxes. But tonight, with the power flickering out from the storm, the house felt alive in a way it hadn't since she was a kid.

She stood at the corner, arms folded, smile sharp as a glass ornament. Jace straightened instantly. I stepped back so fast I nearly tripped. Bianca’s gaze flicked between us — my swollen lips, his disheveled hair, the distance that wasn’t nearly enough. Her smile widened slowly. “Oh,” she said lightly. “This is going to be… fun.” And just like that… I knew: Christmas was about to get a whole lot worse.

One soft click. The picture came out tasteful but teasing, enough to make him grin. She smiled, selected Darren’s name, hit send. Then tossed her phone onto the bed and poured herself a glass of cheap red wine. Next week, she'd have her bags packed, ready to head to Maysville, the small town she'd grown up in for Christmas. Her holiday plan was just perfect! Her playlist hummed to life; jazzy, lazy Christmas tunes filling the air. For the first time all day, her shoulders relaxed. She even started humming along, thinking about what tomorrow morning would look like. Morning pancakes, bad movies, Darren’s laugh…

Maybe if she waited until Wednesday, a few more sales would come through and she could mail them all at the same time. The door chimed and a local couple she knew from church came in. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Howard. How are you?” Memory went about helping Mrs. Howard find a gift for her niece, trying not to let her father’s news about the new B and B keep her from enjoying the holiday spirit. Christmas really was the most wonderful time of the year, even if this one felt a little off without Grandma Helen. She put a smile on her face and got to work, glad to stay busy to keep her mind off of what she’d lost.

“Apparently, I can’t leave my restaurant unattended without chaos breaking loose.” He chuckled. “That’s because you run a tight ship.” She softened. “Maybe. But I don’t regret it. I’m glad we came home for Christmas. I needed that time.” “Me too!” Laya chimed in before yawning so wide her eyes watered. “Best Christmas ever.” She rubbed her face. “Daddy, can you tell me a bedtime story again tonight? The one about the brave princess?” Jordan nodded instantly. “Of course I can. Bath and PJs first, then Momma will bring you the phone. And tonight, that princess might get a dragon.”

She adds already heading for the kitchen. Within thirty minutes Nina had put the stuff for Santa out on a Christmas plate that Mandy gave her yesterday and she was tucked up in bed while I read her a book called Once Upon a Magical Christmas and she loved every moment of it and so did Josh and Riley. Yep, that's right. The guys sat on the bottom of her bed and listened to the entire story like big children and I swear that the pair of them were almost sleeping their selves by the time I had finished and so was Nina.

VOLUME FOUR: A SADDLE CREEK CHRISTMAS ROMANCE PART 1: FAMILY CHRISTMAS-RUSTLERS AND ROMANCE Dedication: This book is dedicated to my late mother, Dorothy Viola Hoy Lowery Semple, who always supported me in my writing and was always the first to download?and leave a review. And without her dragging me to church every Sunday and to Candlelight Services Christmas Eve?I would not know the important?traditions or the true meaning of Christmas in my heart.