Belle Calhoune - An Alaskan Christmas

Her Christmas Match

After inheriting a gift shop in Love, Alaska, single mom Maggie Richards is ready for a new beginning—while her little boy is ready for a new daddy! But Maggie has no time for love—she wants to open the shop in time for Christmas, something she’ll do with help from childhood friend Finn O’Rourke. Finn’s on board to help Maggie—but not with the romance rumors that swirl around them like snow. Like Maggie, he’s hiding too many secrets to ever wed. So why do Maggie and her little boy make him dream of finding an unusual gift under the tree—a ready-made family?

Christmas came once a year.

And this year Maggie would embrace it. Trees, sledding, cookies. She was all in.

As if he read her mind, her son asked, “Can you come and help us pick out a tree, Finn?”

“I don’t know if you heard,” Finn said, “but I’m the best tree hunter in all of Alaska.” To which her boy’s face lit up with excitement.

There was no doubt about it. Oliver was blooming right before her eyes. And it had everything to do with Finn. She should know. He’d done the same for her when she was a child.

She told Finn when her son scampered off. Then warned, “I’m just worried he might get too attached to you. Oliver isn’t looking for a father figure. He’s looking for a father.”

“No worries, Mags. We’re buddies,” Finn assured her. “Surely that can’t be a bad thing.”

“No, that’s not a bad thing.” Not for her son, she thought. But what about her? Was being Finn’s buddy enough?

Dear Reader,

Thank you for joining me on another Alaskan love story. I hope you enjoyed An Alaskan Christmas. There’s something so wonderful about the Christmas season. It’s truly a time to draw closer to your loved ones, celebrate the birth of Jesus and enjoy the sights and smells of the holiday. Eggnog! Sugar cookies. A deliciously baked ham. One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to drive around with my family looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It’s a feast for the eyes.

Finn and Maggie share a precious bond as childhood friends. Although it’s been twenty years since they’ve seen each other, they quickly fall into the familiar rhythms of their friendship. Ever since I introduced Finn in A Match Made in Alaska I’ve been thinking about him and what makes him tick. Why was he always running away from Love, as well as running from love? And could Maggie find love again, even though she thinks she’s done with romance? Somehow, through God’s divine grace, he and Maggie find their happily-ever-after in each other’s arms.

It’s always a treat for me to hear from readers. I can be reached by email at scalhoune@gmail.com. I can also be found on my Author Belle Calhoune Facebook page, on my website, bellecalhoune.com, or on Twitter @BelleCalhoune.

Blessings,

Belle

BELLE CALHOUNE grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. Married to her college sweetheart, she is raising two lovely daughters in Connecticut. A dog lover, she has one mini poodle and a chocolate Lab. Writing for the Love Inspired line is a dream come true. Working at home in her pajamas is one of the best perks of the job. Belle enjoys summers in Cape Cod, traveling and reading.

An Alaskan Christmas

Belle Calhoune

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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But they that wait upon the Lord

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.

—Isaiah 40:31

For my brother, Stephen.

For introducing me to Steinbeck

and East of Eden, a book that changed my life.

Acknowledgments:

For all the readers who have enjoyed the

Alaskan Grooms series and asked for more.

For editors Emily Rodmell and Giselle Regus, for

all their hard work and dedication on this project.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Finn O’Rourke paced back and forth in terminal 27A of the Anchorage airport. He looked around him, noticing the pine wreaths and red ribbons adorning the walls. The Christmas decorations provided a dose of holiday cheer. For the most part, airports were pretty stark places. He took a quick glance at his watch. His passengers should have met him here twenty minutes ago so he could fly them on the last leg of their journey to his hometown of Love, Alaska. A grumbling noise emanated from his stomach, and he knew it had nothing to do with hunger pains. Butterflies had been fluttering around in his belly ever since he landed in Anchorage. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous.

Perhaps it had something to do with his client, Maggie Richards. Twenty years stood between himself and Maggie. A lifetime really. She was a mother now with a small child she was raising alone.

She’d hired his brother’s company, O’Rourke Charters, and now he was flying her back to Love, where she would begin her new life, courtesy of her uncle, Tobias.

Tobias Richards. He was the reason Maggie and her son were relocating to Alaska from Massachusetts. There was nothing like an inheritance to turn a person’s world upside down, Finn thought. Tobias had gone to glory with a few surprises up his sleeve. Finn had just found out he had also been named in Tobias’s will. Receiving the paperwork last evening had been a mind-blowing experience.

Finn felt a twinge of sadness at the realization that his good friend was gone. He missed him terribly. Tobias had been one of the few people who’d truly understood Finn. And he’d gone out of his way to help him on multiple occasions. In fact, he was still aiding him from beyond the grave.

Finn let out a deep breath. After all these years he was going to come face-to-face with Tobias’s niece, Maggie, his childhood friend. They had been as thick as thieves during her visits to Love when they were kids. Ancient history, he reminded himself. She probably wouldn’t even remember him.

He grinned as memories of catching salamanders and skating at Deer Run Lake washed over him like a warm spring rain. They had shared secrets and explored caves and promised to be best friends forever. His friendship with Maggie had been special, and it had come to an abrupt end mere months before his entire childhood imploded. Perhaps it was the reason why those memories were engraved on his heart like a permanent tattoo.

All of a sudden a woman came walking toward terminal 27A with a small child in tow. She had dark hair and appeared to be struggling with a large-sized piece of luggage. Her tiny companion was dragging a rather large duffel bag behind him. A feeling of familiarity washed over Finn at the sight of her. As she came closer, there was no doubt in Finn’s mind about her identity. It was Maggie!