Catherine Lanigan - Home For Christmas

Can a magical Christmas under glass…

…bring them back together for good?

Widowed dad Adam Masterson still doesn’t understand why Joy Boston left Indian Lake and broke his heart all those years ago. Now she’s returned to sell her grandfather’s beloved poinsettia greenhouse—and Joy and Adam’s connection is as strong as ever. But Joy has a life in New York. And Adam has only until Christmas to convince Joy that she belongs in Indian Lake—with him.

CATHERINE LANIGANknew she was born to storytelling at a very young age when she told stories to her younger brothers and sister to entertain them. After years of encouragement from family and high school teachers, Catherine was shocked and brokenhearted when her freshman college creative-writing professor told her that she had “no writing talent whatsoever” and that she would never earn a dime as a writer.

For fourteen years she did not write until she was encouraged by a television journalist to give her dream a shot. That was nearly forty published novels, nonfiction books and anthologies ago. To add to the dream, Hallmark Channel has recently released The Sweetest Heart , based on the second book in her Harlequin Heartwarming series, Shores of Indian Lake. With more books in the series and more movies to come, Catherine makes her home in La Porte, Indiana, the inspiration for Indian Lake.

Also By Catherine Lanigan

Shores of Indian Lake

Family of His Own

His Baby Dilemma

Rescued by the Firefighter

Hers to Protect

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Home for Christmas

Catherine Lanigan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90089-2

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

© 2019 Catherine Lanigan

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“I own this greenhouse now.”

“Right.” Adam reached into his pocket, took out the key. “It’s the craziest thing—this key to the greenhouse. It takes me back not just to us, but to all the fun, the sharing, the knowledge. And to Frank. This greenhouse was his passion,” Adam said.

“I remember the feeling I had when I’d walk through the doors after school. Being here was…”

“Magic,” he finished for her as he took her hand, turned it palm up, placed the key in her hand and closed her fingers around it.

Joy sucked in a breath as he touched her.

Energy shot from his hand to hers, filling her with an overwhelming longing to be held by him. Joy couldn’t stop this magnetism even if she wanted to. And she didn’t want to.

His eyes held hers, not wavering.

It was as if they were in a realm all their own. Maybe it was magic that she and Adam had once had…

Dear Reader,

For most of my life, one of the joys of Christmas was visiting the local greenhouses. There I would peruse rows and rows of the most magnificent poinsettias. But eventually the family-run greenhouses closed as more box stores moved in.

In Home for Christmas , I wanted Joy Boston to come face-to-face with her past, but also take on the challenges of our modern times. Joy inherits her grandfather’s business, which is now closed—until Joy’s first love, Adam Masterson, appears. They broke up when she bolted out of town after high school. Joy has moved on to a new life in New York City. Adam moved on as well and has a six-year-old son, Titus. Still, Adam always had a place in his heart for Joy and the greenhouse. Is the same true for Joy?

Home for Christmas will warm your heart and show you that where there is love, there is always hope.

Please write to me at catherinelanigan.comor follow me on Facebook, on Twitter, @cathlanigan, and always at heartwarmingauthors.Blogspot.com. Join Prism Book Tours at prismbooktours.Blogspot.com. Don’t forget to watch my movie on the Hallmark Channel: The Sweetest Heart , based on my Heartwarming novel Heart’s Desire .

Catherine

This book is dedicated to my parents, Frank J. Lanigan and Dorothy Lanigan, who taught me the meaning of Christmas was love. Their home was always welcoming, warm and generous. No one was a stranger in our home. This is the home I now inhabit, and as my dear friend Vicki Bushman described, “The walls of this house drip love.” There is no greater love than the love we have for our fellow man. Merry Christmas to all. God bless us, everyone!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is true that there are thousands of Christmas stories, but this one is very special to me. Its publication is due in part to my dedicated and insightful editor, Adrienne Macintosh, who instantly saw the eternal connection between Joy Boston and Adam Masterson.

Thanks also to executive editor Kathleen Scheibling and my mentor, editorial VP Dianne Moggy, for believing in the Shores of Indian Lake series. Bless you.

My gratitude and love always to my ever-faithful friend and agent, Lissy Peace.

You are all the very best of gifts that life has to offer. You are always welcome, Christmas or anytime, in my love-filled home.