Kat Brookes - Hometown Christmas Gift

A second chance for a first love.

Her little family needs healing...

Could he be the answer to her Christmas wish?

Home for the holidays, widow Lainie Michaels never would have thought to ask old love Jackson Wade to help her troubled child. But when her still-grieving son forms a bond with the handsome rancher, ignoring Jackson goes from challenging to impossible. Jackson let his first love go once before, but this Christmas, he’ll hold on to Lainie with all his heart.

Bent Creek Blessings

KAT BROOKESis an award-winning author and past Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award finalist. She is married to her childhood sweetheart and has been blessed with two beautiful daughters. She loves writing stories that can both make you smile and touch your heart. Kat is represented by Michelle Grajkowski with 3 Seas Literary Agency. Read more about Kat and her upcoming releases at katbrookes.com. Email her at katbrookes@comcast.net. Facebook: Kat Brookes.

Also By Kat Brookes Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Note to Readers Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Extract About the Publisher

Bent Creek Blessings

The Cowboy’s Little Girl

The Rancher’s Baby Surprise

Hometown Christmas Gift

Texas Sweethearts

Her Texas Hero

His Holiday Matchmaker

Their Second Chance Love

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Hometown Christmas Gift

Kat Brookes

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09924-0

HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS GIFT

© 2019 Kimberly Duffy

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.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“Do you think we could do this again sometime?”

“Hmm...I’ll have to think that one over a bit,” Jackson said, pretending to contemplate her question. “Getting you back behind the wheel would mean I would no longer be needed to take you and Lucas here and there. I’m not so sure I’m ready to give that up.”

“I would think you would be relieved,” she told him with a smile.

“You’d be wrong.”

Her smile softened with his admission. “I’m realistic if anything. I know I have a long way to go before I’m going to be comfortable behind the wheel, but I want my independence back. Want to be the kind of mother Lucas deserves.”

His expression softened even more. “Your son is already blessed to have you for his mother, whether you drive or not. He’s just too young to really appreciate what he has, but that will come. Right now, he’s still working through a lot of pain and grief.”

Reaching over, she covered his hand with hers, giving it a squeeze. “I’ve missed you, Jackson Wade.”

Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Note to Readers Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Extract About the Publisher ,

I really hope you’ve had a chance to read the first two books in my Bent Creek Blessings series— The Cowboy’s Little Girl and The Rancher’s Baby Surprise . Hometown Christmas Gift is the third and final book in this Love Inspired series, giving the last of the Wade brothers, Jackson, his very own happily-ever-after. It’s a story of healing and second chances for both my hero, Jackson, and Lainie, his first love. It’s about turning to one’s faith to help carry us through the hard times and knowing that God has a plan for us all. It’s also discovering that not all Christmas gifts are ones you can hold in your hand, like the gift of forgiveness, the gift of hope and the gift of happiness. Things that both Lainie and Jackson gift each other with in Hometown Christmas Gift . I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. For updates on my upcoming releases, you can go to my website at www.lindseybrookes.comor follow Kat Brookes on Facebook. The link to my homepage is https://www.facebook.com/kat.brookes.5.

Happy holidays!

Kat

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

—James 1:6

This book is dedicated to my cousin

Kathy Dillan and to my good friend

Melissa Huddleston. Two women very

near and dear to my heart. I’m so grateful

to have you both in my life.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text A second chance for a first love. Her little family needs healing... Could he be the answer to her Christmas wish? Home for the holidays, widow Lainie Michaels never would have thought to ask old love Jackson Wade to help her troubled child. But when her still-grieving son forms a bond with the handsome rancher, ignoring Jackson goes from challenging to impossible. Jackson let his first love go once before, but this Christmas, he’ll hold on to Lainie with all his heart. Bent Creek Blessings