Christmas Comes to Dickens Read online

  CHRISTMAS COMES

  TO DICKENS

  A Christmas Anthology from

  Best Selling Authors

  Nancy Fraser ~ Maddie James

  Caroline Clemmons ~ Bonnie Edwards

  Liz Flaherty ~ Kathryn Hills

  Peggy Jaeger ~ Kathleen Lawless

  Lucinda Race ~ Jan Scarbrough

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Christmas Comes to Dickens

  A Christmas Romance Anthology

  © 2020 Books From a Romantic’s Heart Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Anthology Cover © Jacobs Ink, LLC, 2020

  Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle © 2020 Nancy Fraser

  Miracle at Holly Hill Inn © 2020 Maddie James

  Holiday Hearts © 2020 Caroline Clemmons

  The Tinsel Tango © 2020 Bonnie Edwards

  Wisdom of the Heart © 2020 Liz Flaherty

  Operation Snowball © 2020 Kathy Hills

  Angel Kisses and Holiday Wishes © 2020 Peggy Jaeger

  Holly’s Wish © 2020 Kathleen Lawless

  Holiday Heart Wishes © 2020 Lucinda Race

  Santa’s Wish © 2020 Jan Scarbrough

  Table of Contents

  Welcome to Dickens

  Dedication

  Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle

  Miracle at Holly Hill Inn

  Holiday Hearts

  The Tinsel Tango

  Wisdom of the Heart

  Operation Snowball

  Angel Kisses and Holiday Wishes

  Holly’s Wish

  Holiday Heart Wishes

  Santa’s Wish

  Our Heartfelt Thank You!

  Welcome to Dickens

  THE HOLIDAY SEASON is in full swing in the quaint New England town of Dickens. We have all sorts of fun holiday activities to share such as a Christmas tree lighting in the town square, ice skating on Grosvenor’s Pond, sleigh rides, cutting down your own Christmas tree at Gridley Meadows, caroling on the Common. You name it—Dickens has it all!

  While some of our stories may interact with one another, others may not. We hope you will do as we did and enjoy the magic that is the holiday season, no matter when it's taking place.

  Our storybook setting abounds with romance, children’s wishes, much needed miracles and—maybe even—a touch of magic!

  Join us as our best selling and award-winning authors fill your holiday stocking with ten brand new novellas ranging from sweet to sassy, including:

  Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle by Top 100 Best Selling Author Nancy Fraser - Can one little girl fill the holiday season with enough miracles for everyone? This story will warm your heart.

  Miracle at Holly Hill Inn by Top 100 Best Selling Author Maddie James - Ariana is looking for the perfect Christmas. Instead, she finds a Scrooge. Will two days snowbound at Holly Hill Inn bring them together?

  Holiday Hearts by Top 100 Author Caroline Clemmons - Laura is funny, beautiful, and smart. She’s not about to date her boss. Can Ward convince her he’s not just looking for a holiday fling?

  The Tinsel Tango by Best Selling Author Bonnie Edwards - She needs R&R. He teaches Tango. Or does he? Can love survive secrets & hidden agendas when a dance teacher is exposed as a wealthy tycoon?

  Wisdom of the Heart by USA Today Best Selling Author Liz Flaherty - Best friends fell in love in high school. But life, families & distance happened along the way. Could they still be in love?

  Operation Snowball by Best Selling Author Kathryn Hills - Returning home to Dickens is hard for Army veteran, John Gridley. The last thing he expects to find is love with a pretty widow.

  Angel Kisses and Holiday Wishes by Best Selling Author Peggy Jaeger - Sage left years ago, leaving Keith's heart in tatters. She's back as his grandmother’s doctor. Is there hope for them?

  Holly’s Wish by Top 100 Best Selling Author Kathleen Lawless - What if the girl who got away is standing right in front of you? Years ago, they shared one magical Christmas Eve. Is it too late for them now?

  Holiday Heart Wishes by Best Selling Author Lucinda Race - Vera picks up Tony, a stranded motorist, on her way back to Dickens. Will they discover their heart wishes can come true at Christmas?

  Santa’s Wish by Best Selling Author Jan Scarbrough - Will Christmas magic help them overcome the obstacles of her dashed career ambitions and his grief so they can find a second chance at love?

  We’re pleased you chose to join us on our holiday journey. Pour yourself a cup of tea, spiced cider, or even a bit of spirited eggnog; sit back, relax, and enjoy!

  THE AUTHORS OF Christmas Comes to Dickens wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season and the best in the coming new year.

  Dedication

  CHRISTMAS COMES TO Dickens is dedicated to fellow Romance Gem Joan Reeves who initially came up with the idea of a small-town Christmas setting and helped us envision the New England town of Dickens.

  Unfortunately, life and other commitments forced her to back away from the project. As much as we missed her leadership, we valued the ideas and lessons she gave us, and truly believe we’ve done her initial vision justice!

  Going forward, we can’t wait to join Joan again on Last Chance Beach for some relief from all this snow!

  Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle

  Holidays & Family ~ Book 1

  Nancy Fraser

  Top 100 Best Selling Author

  Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle

  SINGLE MOM, CASSIDY Kean, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her five-year-old daughter, Millie. With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, Cass takes on a bit more than she can handle while trying to get her new party planning business off the ground. Thankfully, she has a good friend and neighbor who willingly cares for Millie while Cass works. Now, if only she could get Frances to stop filling Millie’s head with stories of holiday magic.

  Rick Barrett is facing a dilemma. His family-owned toy company is in jeopardy of being made obsolete, which will mean closing the local factory in Dickens and the loss of dozens of jobs, a devastating blow to the small community. What he needs is a new idea to compete with the big guys, something that will drag kids away from their electronics and back to a real, hand-crafted toy.

  When Rick meets frazzled, but beautiful, Cassidy and her precocious daughter Millie, he’s immediately smitten, despite the fact he’s never been great with children.

  Will sharing in their enthusiasm for the upcoming Christmas season bring him the two things he needs most...true love and a business-saving miracle?

  Dedication

  MILLIE’S AWESOME HOLIDAY Miracle is dedicated to my three beautiful and talented granddaughters, Mackenzie, Haley and Anya. They were all precocious—just like Millie—at one time or another. Now, they’re just perfect!

  Chapter 1

  CASSIDY KEAN SHUFFLED an armload of bags and two cardboard boxes through the door of her compact two-bedroom apartment. She’d barely set down the r
eusable tote filled with her weekly grocery allotment when she was met by the tiny tornado that was her five-year old daughter.

  “Mommy, quick, come see what I made today,” Millie squealed, her excitement barely tempered when she tripped over her untied shoelaces.

  “Give me a second, hon. I need to put the groceries away.”

  “But it might melt. Hurry.”

  Cass set the bags on the countertop closest to the fridge and followed Millie down the narrow hallway. What could possibly be melting in her daughter’s bedroom? Cass braced herself for a cleanup she surely didn’t feel like doing.

  Frances, her next-door neighbor and Millie’s after-school babysitter, sat in the middle of the floor, her hands covered with slime, her gray hair sprinkled with glitter.

  Cass sucked in a breath and prayed for strength. She loved Frances to pieces but, sometimes, the woman created as much extra work as Millie. If it weren’t for the fact her daughter adored the sixty-something widow, Cass would have searched for a more disciplined sitter.

  “So,” she asked, sliding across the floor on a sea of paste, “what have you two been up to while I was at work?”

  Frances smiled, a twinkle lit her faded-blue eyes, and Cass suddenly realized—she couldn’t replace Frances if she wanted to. The woman was one of the few bright lights in her otherwise mundane, overworked life.

  “The sprite and me are making some containers of fairy lotion to give to her friends at kindergarten tomorrow,” Frances explained.

  Millie reached for another small plastic container and spooned in a healthy scoop of their so-called fairy lotion, the overflow oozing out the sides.

  “Be careful,” Cass said a moment too late.

  “I will,” Millie exclaimed. Yet, when she squished the lid down, the excess slime flew everywhere, landing haphazardly on the floor, the table, and on Millie’s apron.

  Cass sighed and Millie giggled. Frances pursed her lips to keep from laughing.

  “If you want to get dinner started for you and Miss Messy here,” Frances said, “I’ll clean up the table and floor and get Millie’s hands washed and ironed.”

  Millie rolled her big brown eyes. “You can’t iron hands, Miss Frances. It would burn.”

  The older woman shook her head and shrugged. “Silly me. It’s a good thing I have a smart girl like you around to set me straight.”

  Cass left Millie and Frances on clean-up duty and went to fix their evening meal and put away the groceries still sitting on the counter. Money was tight, so making sure the groceries were stored away was always her first priority—behind Millie, of course.

  “You’ll stay for dinner?” she asked when Frances came into the kitchen, a freshly scrubbed Millie in tow.

  “Oh, no thank you, dearie. I’ve got leftover meatloaf from yesterday I don’t want to waste. You two need some mommy-daughter time without an old coot like me hanging around.”

  Millie tugged on Frances’ shirt, drawing both women’s attention. “You’re not a coot, Miss Frances, you’re a lady.” Turning to Cass she asked, “What’s a coot?”

  Cass stifled her laughter and explained. “A coot is someone who’s older and a bit cranky.”

  Millie threw her hands up in the air and gave another roll of her eyes. “See, Miss Frances, you’re not a coot. You’re never cranky, even when I’m bad.”

  Frances tapped Millie on the nose and nodded. “And you’re never really bad, Milsie-doodle, you’re just rambunctious.”

  “Ram what?” Millie repeated.

  Cass laid her hand on Millie’s shoulder and pulled her backward against her thighs, leaning over to give her daughter a hug. “It means you’re easily excitable.”

  She and Frances exchanged broad smiles. “Amen,” Frances added. “Amen.”

  CASS SPARED A QUICK glance at the stovetop clock. Two-thirty-five a.m. What had she been thinking accepting an extra commission right before the holidays, and a very challenging one at that? Her event planning business was just getting off the ground. It wouldn’t do to mess up even one event and ruin her professional reputation before she even had one.

  The Dickens’ town council had asked her for help, her expertise in planning a fundraiser to cover the expense of repairing and decorating the downtown area for the holidays. It should have been an easy task. After all, Dickens exuded small-town charm, camaraderie, and a friendly everybody-knows-everybody atmosphere.

  She glanced down at her notes and shook her head. “I need a hook,” she said softly. “Something to draw everyone in.”

  You’d think getting the entire town to chip in on a fundraiser would have been a no-brainer. Unfortunately, rumors of the closing of one of Dickens’ local businesses put a damper on the town’s enthusiasm, making her job far more difficult. Asking people to attend an event one week, when they might be out of a job the next, was the mountain she’d have to climb if she was going to do what she was hired to do.

  Packing away her day planner, her notebook, and an assortment of brochures for local businesses, she shuffled off to bed. Morning—and Millie—would be up and running before she knew it.

  RICK BARRETT GAVE ONE last look at the reports strewn across his desk and then raised his head, meeting his father’s weathered gaze.

  “So, what do you think?” William Barrett asked. “Are we going to have to shut down the factory?”

  “We’ve had a couple of lean years and I don’t see much hope for the future. Kids nowadays want their electronics—video games, cell phones, tablets. Nobody’s in the market for handmade, quality toys anymore.”

  His dad heaved a sigh and settled back in the chair. “I thought semi-retirement and coaxing you back to run things would help. I guess I was wrong.”

  Rick stood, circled the desk, and stopped in front of his dad. “Other than a few collectibles, like the Holiday Princess doll and a new piece to Track’s Village, there’s been nothing that’s caught on in the past three years. Without a good idea or—better yet—a miracle of some sort, there’s not much of a future for Wil-Bar Toys.” Rick rested his hand on his father’s shoulder, wishing his news were better. “Sorry, Dad, but I’m pretty sure we’ll have to shut down after the next Billy Bunny rush.”

  The elder Barrett pushed himself to his feet and reached for his cane. “My father—your grandfather—is probably rolling over in his grave. He built this place and designed all our bestsellers. I’ve run it into the ground.”

  “No, Dad, progress is the culprit, not you.”

  He was about to suggest he take his dad to lunch, when voices from the outer office caught his attention. No doubt, Margaret was eavesdropping on every word they’d said. The woman, his father’s assistant for nearly thirty years, could easily be heard above another woman’s voice—a softer voice.

  Rick excused himself. “Hang tight for a minute, Dad. I’ll be right back, and we can go to Morty’s for lunch.”

  He stepped through his office door just in time to watch the unknown woman walk away. “Who was that, Margaret?” he asked.

  “Just another charity looking for a handout.”

  “What charity?”

  “Something about tickets for a fundraiser for repairs and holiday decorations for the gazebo on the Common.” Margaret smiled faintly. “I told her we couldn’t help. And, that we—”

  Rick held up his hand, interrupting. “Hold on. Let me see if I can catch her.” He darted down the hallway, reaching the woman just as she pressed the button for the elevator. “Excuse me, Miss,” he called out.

  She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “Yes?”

  He was momentarily caught off guard by her huge chocolate brown eyes and easy smile. “I’m Rick, Rick Barrett,” he said finally. “You were asking about a donation for holiday decorations?”

  “Yes, I was.” Her smile spread, pleasantly rearranging an already beautiful face. “The city council is holding a fundraiser. A wine and cheese party. I’m hoping to encourage the half-dozen or so businesses who
employ most of Dickens’ population to purchase a table. Maybe give the seats away in a drawing to your employees.”

  “I like wine. And cheese. How much are the tickets?”

  “Your assistant said the charitable donation budget for this year has been spent.”

  Rick gave a quick shrug of his shoulders, his thoughts more on the silky-smooth quality of her voice than on the Wil-Bar budget.

  Probably not the best thing for a CEO to willingly ignore.

  “I’m sure she’s right but, sometimes, you have to adjust.” When she didn’t respond, he paraphrased his previous question. “Tickets? Cost?”

  She gave a quick shake of her head, her long brown hair dusting the collar of the jacket she wore. “Of course.” Opening her purse, she withdrew a brochure and handed it to him. “Twenty-five dollars a seat, ten seats to a table. So, two-hundred-fifty for a full table. Although, if you prefer, you can purchase a half-table. We just can’t guarantee—”

  “I’ll take two,” he said, interrupting whatever disclaimer she was about to make.

  “Two seats?” she asked.

  “No, Miss...uh...”

  She held out her hand. “Kean. Cassidy Kean.” Her soft hand melted into his, sending a warm sensation running up the length of his arm.

  He coughed, clearing the sudden dryness in his throat. “Not seats, Miss Kean, tables. Two tables.” Rick withdrew his wallet from his jeans pocket and took out four hundred-dollar bills. “I’ve only got four, but if you’d like to give me a receipt, I’m good for the rest.”

  She met his gaze, and he was drawn back to those soulful eyes. Raising her tote bag, she rummaged through it, pulling out a dog-eared receipt book. “Just give me a minute,” she said.