Merry Christmas, Darling - Sample

Chapter One

If there was one thing the town of Darling, Vermont, knew how to do, it was Christmas. Wreaths and bows hung from the streetlamps. Storefronts were decorated with sparkly lights and holiday-themed wares, beckoning passersby to come inside. A Christmas tree sat on the Green beside Fisher Creek and next to the Kissing Bridge, waiting for the tree-lighting ceremony that would happen on the weekend. The air smelled like evergreen and cinnamon and butter cookies. There'd even been flurries overnight, covering the ground with a dusting of pristine snow. Everything looked like a greeting card, and normally, Hannah Gallagher loved every moment of it.

Instead, she let out a frustrated breath, hung up the phone, and slumped against the desk in her office.

The second annual literacy benefit was only three weeks away, and her celebrity author and speaker had just cancelled their appearance. The whole event had been planned around Jillian Jordan's attendance. And now...nothing.

Sure, having surgery was a legitimate excuse. She guessed. But it put her in a horrible pickle. Tickets for the event had already gone on sale. Donations for the silent auction were coming in, with others promised. Local businesses were in on the action. The literacy benefit was her brainchild, her baby, and last year had been a roaring success, raising thousands for local literacy organizations. There was no way she wanted the event to suffer a sophomore slump.

She had to find another celebrity. Someone who didn't mind traveling to a small town in Vermont in three weeks, and a week before Christmas to boot. Someone willing to donate their time, who wasn't already booked up. And someone who would be the right person, not just anyone who could fill a chair or stand up to the mic. She'd originally begun this process in March. Now she had to do it all again in a matter of days.

"I hate my life, I hate my life, I hate my life," she muttered, resting her forehead on the heel of her hand.

"Aw, it can't be all bad."

Hannah lifted her head and found Oaklee Collier standing in her doorway, her blond hair pulled into a perfect topknot, one hip resting on the doorframe, and a lopsided smile on her otherwise symmetrical face.

If Hannah had anything to say about it, Oaklee would be her sister-in-law one of these days. She heartily approved of her brother Rory's choice in partners.

"Jillian Jordan just cancelled. She's having surgery in ten days and doesn't think she'll be recovered enough to attend the benefit."

Oaklee's smile disappeared from her face. "Oh, shit."

"Shit is right. Can you think of a replacement? And I don't want it to be us scraping the bottom of the barrel for anyone with a pulse, you know?"

"Of course." Oaklee came farther into the office and sat in the chair opposite Hannah's desk. "I mean, do we have to have a celebrity?"

"Yes?" Hannah pursed her lips. "I'm just...not angry. I can't be angry with a woman who has to have medical treatment, can I? But why?" She drew out the last word and punctuated it with a sigh.

Oaklee leaned forward. "You'll figure it out, Han. You always do. No one gets stuff done like you do. You're General Gallagher. You just need to round up your troops."

Hannah stared at Oaklee. General Gallagher? She'd been called a lot of things over the years, and for some reason, this one bothered her a lot. Yes, she was definitely type A. She didn't feel she should apologize for it. She had skills. But the two monikers she'd earned that she disliked the most was this one and Dozer. As in bulldozer. Which was just slightly worse, in her view, than Ballbuster.

She was a doer. She got things done. And that way, she didn't have to focus too much on her non-existent love life. Because in that one area, she was an absolute failure. She had the battle scars to prove it. Hell, an ex was where the Dozer name came from.