Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe: A Small Town Holiday Novella Collection Read online

  Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe

  Christine Kingsley

  Iris Morland

  Erin Wright

  Contents

  by Christine Kingsley

  Home for Christmas

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  A note from Christine

  Also by Christine Kingsley

  by Iris Morland

  Let It Snow

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Epilogue

  A note from Iris Morland

  Also By Iris Morland

  About the Author

  by Erin Wright

  Blizzard of Love

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Other Books by Erin Wright

  About Erin Wright

  Wanna Join My ARC Team?

  Claim your bonuses!

  Home for Christmas copyright © 2016 by Christine Kingsley

  Let It Snow copyright © 2016 by Iris Morland

  Blizzard of Love copyright © 2016 by Erin Wright

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters in this story are 18 and over.

  Home for Christmas

  Finn and Noelle

  by Christine Kingsley

  Chapter 1

  "There you go, old girl. It's okay."

  Noelle Silverman spoke softly as she rubbed her hands along her horse's side, trying to reassure her before she placed the saddle on her back. Had anyone ridden Dolly since she'd last been home? It was possible one of her sisters had, but she figured the chances were slim. She hadn't taken either of her sisters' horses out during the single brief trip she'd made to the family ranch in the past two years. Natalie and Nicole hadn't been home any more than that either.

  To her surprise, the old horse didn't give any sign of protest as Noelle tossed the saddle over the blanket on her back and adjusted it.

  "Looks like you may have been better cared for than I thought." She wondered if one of the ranch hands had looked after her and her sisters' horses. Feeling a pang of guilt that she hadn't been around more to do it herself, Noelle made a mental note to ask Grandma Beth about it.

  Leading Dolly out of the stable, she placed a foot in the stirrup and slung her other leg over the back of her solid black mare and took her on a slow warm-up walk around the perimeter of the fenced area just outside. There were only a couple weeks until Thanksgiving, and already the crisp Wyoming fall was turning cold. They were past due for the first snow.

  After a few minutes, Noelle guided Dolly toward the gate and the open pasture beyond. It looked like the ranch hands may have already herded the cattle out into the smaller back pasture near the barn where they would keep them through the winter. Just as she was about to take Dolly for a look around to see for herself, the sound of galloping hooves drew her attention.

  Shading her eyes against the brightness of the late afternoon sun, she could only make out the silhouette of a man on horseback. Maybe it was the foreman? Grandma Beth had mentioned something about a new foreman last spring. When he came to a stop a few yards from where she stood, Noelle couldn't keep the shock out of her voice.

  "Finn?"

  "Hello, Noelle."

  It may have been six years since she'd seen him, but the way Finn McCormack said her name somehow still sent a bolt of electricity racing through her body. How was that even possible? Hadn't she worked long and hard to get him out of both her head and her heart?

  After a long moment, Noelle realized she was staring. It was hard not to. Time had been good to Finn. Really good.

  "What are you doing here?" she finally managed to say, relieved that her voice didn't betray the fact that her pulse was galloping faster than Dolly had ever considered going.

  He tilted his head, his eyes barely visible in the shadow his Stetson cast. "Didn't Beth tell you?"

  Noelle thought she heard a trace of wariness in his voice, but was too confused to wonder about it. She shook her head.

  "Tell me what?"

  "I'm the foreman now for Silver Acres."

  "You?" Noelle knew she sounded incredulous, and was vaguely aware that it might come across as insulting, so she tried to cover it up. "I just mean, I thought you weren't interested in ranch life."

  "No, that was you, if memory serves." His words weren't spoken harshly, but Noelle couldn't fight the wave of frustration that swept over her. How many times had they had this fight when they were younger? It always ended the same way—with them on two very different pages.

  Not wanting to go down that road with him so soon after arriving back in Willow Valley, she changed the subject.

  "I was just wondering about the cattle." She gestured out at the empty pasture. "It looks like they've already been taken to the back?"

  He regarded her for a moment before speaking, and she wished his face wasn't in the shadows so she could figure out what he was thinking.

  "You want to go see for yourself?"

  Surprised that she actually did, she gave him a crooked smile. "Yeah, I think I do."

  Noelle drew her horse closer to his, and as she looked into the dark eyes that she'd gotten so lost in as a young woman, she thought she saw some warmth there. In spite of their rocky history, she hoped that maybe they could regain some of the friendship that had been lost to her when she'd left Willow Valley behind after college. Not only was he her first love, he had been her best friend all her life.

  Just friendship. She couldn't allow herself to fall for Finn McCormack again. One broken heart was about all she could handle.

  "So, how long are you here for this time?" Finn asked as they took the horses to a trot, both of them so familiar with the trail to the back of the property that they hardly needed to pay attention. She felt her cheeks warm under the scrutiny of his gaze and wondered what he thought about the new, grown-up version of herself. Twenty-eight-year-old Noelle was a far cry from the young girl that couldn't get away from small-town life fast enough.

  "I don't know. At least through Christmas." She darted a quick look his way to gauge his reaction, but his face remained blank. "I don't have any jobs lined up until the new year."

  "Still consulting for start-ups?"

  Yet another surprise. "How did you know?"

  He gave her an easy grin. "Surely you know your grandmother better than that. She keeps everyone informe
d of all three of her granddaughters' goings-on."

  Noelle rolled her eyes when Finn laughed, and as the smile spread wider across his face, she found herself smiling back. Their eyes locked, and Noelle felt her heart trip as he stared at her with a look so familiar she could have sworn she'd only left six days ago, not six years.

  Watch yourself, Noelle. She knew coming back for an extended stay was dangerous. Willow Valley had a way of sucking you in with its charm, especially around the holidays. What she hadn't counted on was a certain rugged cowboy making things even more complicated than they already were.

  The last person Finn expected to see on the ranch was Noelle Silverman. She'd taken off six years ago and left him bitter and angry. He was sure that any time she came into town she made as much effort as he did to avoid crossing paths.

  Looking at her now, he almost wished he hadn't gone to such trouble. She had the same long brown hair, but now she was wearing it down instead of in the standard ponytail she'd always sported, the long layers framing her face and making her blue eyes look even more captivating than he remembered. She looked sweet and feminine, and pretty much absolutely gorgeous.

  He'd been convinced he would never see her again. Yet here she was accompanying him on a check of the property, something he never would have expected. He knew she wouldn't find anything to fault him on here; he was meticulous when it came to overseeing the ranch. What he couldn't believe was that she was taking an interest in it at all.

  As the oldest of the Silverman girls—with no son to run the ranch—it had been assumed her entire life that whomever she married would take over when her father retired. It had also been assumed that Finn was that man.

  What no one had expected was for her to take off and not look back. Or for her father to die unexpectedly two years ago. There was no doubt Mr. Silverman knew he had terminal cancer, because he'd arranged for someone to take over the business side of the ranch, as well as hire a foreman, six months before he died.

  The girls had been close to their father, and though none of them lived in Willow Valley any longer, they hadn't been home much since. Finn figured it was too hard.

  Glancing over at Noelle, he noticed the signs of strain on her face as she looked around the pasture. How many times had they been out here together back in the day? Were her eyebrows drawn together because she was thinking of her father...or of him?

  But that was ridiculous. He and Noelle had their chance years ago. She'd chosen city life over a life with him. He would be foolish to think that anything had changed.

  "You've done a good job," she said, startling him from his thoughts. "I haven't seen the place look this good in years."

  The pleased smile that crossed her face made him sit up a little straighter. "Well, I take my job seriously. The guy before me—well, let's just say that mismanagement is putting it mildly."

  Noelle cut her gaze back to him. "What do you mean?" she asked sharply.

  Heaving a sigh, Finn just shook his head. "It's a long story." One he definitely didn't want to get into right now when she looked like she might actually be happy to be home. He'd save that news for a little later.

  Instead, he changed the subject. "Wait until you see the new barn."

  "New barn?" Noelle's eyes widened. "What was wrong with the old one?"

  "It would have done okay for a few more seasons, but wait until you see it. It's twice the size." He grinned at her and urged his horse into a canter, Noelle following his lead. The new barn was a huge source of pride for him. It had been his pet project since taking over as foreman, and he couldn't wait to see what she thought. It was also one of the many things he'd done to try to fix the problems the old foreman had caused.

  They rounded a bend in the trail, and the barn could just be seen out in the distance. As they got closer, he watched for Noelle's reaction. Her mouth fell open and he thought he heard her gasp as she took it all in.

  Gone was the big, red wooden structure that had sat on the property for decades, nearly rotted with age. In its place was a huge oak and stone building outfitted with the latest technology, complete with solar panels that ran the entire operation.

  "What do you think?" Finn asked as he tethered his horse near the main door and went to help Noelle off hers. "Want the full tour?"

  She glanced down at him, her face a mixture of emotions. She looked impressed, but there was also a trace of sadness and something else he didn't recognize—wistfulness, perhaps? He couldn't be sure.

  She nodded, and he reached up to grip her waist as she swung her leg over the back of her horse and hopped down. She landed lightly, not moving for a minute, keeping her back to him, and he couldn't quite bring himself to take his hands from her just yet. It was as if there were an electric current running between them where they touched, an awareness of one another that brought memories crashing down around him. Turning her around and pulling her to him for a kiss would feel so natural, so normal, that he barely managed to stop himself from doing it.

  When she finally took an unsteady breath and moved away from him, not meeting his eyes as she tethered her own horse, he silently cursed at himself for not thinking clearly. It had been six years. For all he knew, she had some other guy in her life, and here he was thinking about kissing her. But just the idea that she might be involved with someone had him irrationally irritated. He would find out from Beth. Though truth be told, she would have already mentioned it if there was somebody. He relaxed a little at that.

  "Come on," he said with a smile, breaking the tension. He held the door to the barn for her, and as she passed through she returned the smile.

  The tour wasn't long. There was only so much to the barn. But it was noticeably improved from the old one, likely with technology Noelle didn't even know existed. They came to a stop at the back where the offices were. He'd decided to add an office out here rather than use the one in the ranch house that Mr. Silverman had always used. It just made more sense for him to be out here instead of back and forth to a house that wasn’t even his.

  Noelle turned to him. "You did all this?" She was studying him now as if she were seeing him for the first time.

  "Yep." He couldn't keep the pride out of his voice or the smile from spreading across his face. "It was time to bring Silver Acres into the twenty-first century."

  The corner of her mouth quirked up. "I'd say it's about time. Daddy resisted as long as he could. But I have to say, as much as he touted the old way of doing things, I think he would have been impressed. I know I am."

  High praise coming from Noelle Silverman.

  "About time you took notice." He knew her compliment wasn’t exactly directed at him, but he couldn't help himself from saying it. And though his tone was teasing, he halfway hoped she would notice he wasn't the same guy she left all those years ago.

  "I've got one more thing to show you." Finn led her through the door at the very back of the office into a small structure that hadn't been visible from the front. It was basically an old shack, now attached to the main building. He had insisted when going over the blueprints before construction that it remain fully intact, even though no one but Noelle would ever understand why.

  "Oh, Finn," Noelle breathed, barely above a whisper, a hand raised to her mouth. He could have sworn her eyes shimmered with tears. "I can't believe you kept it. When I saw the new building I thought—"

  Ah. She'd thought he tore it down. That it hadn't meant anything to him. In its current incarnation it was a memorial of sorts, a tribute to the history of Silver Acres. There were pictures and awards on the shelves he'd had installed. But at its very essence, it was still what it had always been. The place where he and Noelle had first kissed, first admitted their love for one another.

  He'd never tear it down. Just as he knew—even more so after seeing her home again—that he'd never stop loving her.

  Chapter 2

  "Noelle, are you even listening to me?" Beth Silverman demanded.

  Noelle sighed as s
he continued unpacking and hanging clothes in her old closet.

  "I'm sorry, Grandma, my mind is just somewhere else right now." It had been ever since she'd parted ways with Finn.

  They'd laughed and joked on the way back from the barn as if no time had passed, and he'd told her about some of the obstacles he'd hurdled in getting things up to par after the old foreman was fired. But when he left her at the stable after getting the horses brushed and put up, her mind had stayed firmly stuck on the fact that he hadn't torn down the shack—their shack.

  What did that mean?

  "Somewhere else? Or on someone else?" Grandma Beth gave her a knowing smile, and it was all Noelle could do to keep a blank face. She didn't want to give her grandmother any indication of the turmoil she was feeling after seeing Finn. She'd be playing matchmaker in the blink of an eye.

  Beth had moved into the ranch house and raised the girls alongside their father after their mother had died when they were very young. She was the only mother Noelle and her sisters had really ever known. And it had been her mission in life to see them happily married and settled in Willow Valley. It had to pain her that all three girls had left home.

  Noelle impulsively sat down on the edge of the bed beside her grandmother and squeezed her hand. "I'm so sorry that I haven't been home more. I've let work take over my life. It's easier that way. I'm too busy to think."

  Beth smiled at her, a trace of sadness in her wise eyes. "I understand more than you realize. I'm just glad you're here now. Is it harder than you thought it would be?"

  "Surprisingly, no. I'm kind of looking forward to having some time around the ranch. I never thought I'd say it, but I've missed it." And just like that, her mind was back to Finn. Their conversation had come so easily, as if no time had passed. She hadn’t just missed the ranch, she'd missed him.

  Beth studied her for a moment. "I think you'll find that being back home for the holidays will do you some good. In ways you'd never expect," she added cryptically.