Sheila Roberts - Merry Ex-Mas

Christmas in Icicle Falls...

Between Yuletide traditions, winter sports and mistletoe hanging everywhere, Christmas is the best time of year in Icicle Falls, Washington. But this year it’s not so merry—for three of its residents, anyway.

Cass Wilkes, owner of the Gingerbread Haus bakery, was looking forward to her daughter, Danielle’s, wedding...until Dani announced that she wants her father, Cass’s ex, to walk her down the aisle. Seriously? And, since every B and B is full, it looks like he, his trophy wife and their yappy little dog will be staying with Cass.

Her friend Charlene Albach arrives at their weekly chick-flick night in shock. She’s just seen the ghost of Christmas past: her ex-husband, Richard, who left her a year ago, running off with the hostess from her restaurant, Zelda’s, to start a new life (and restaurant) in Seattle. Now the hostess is history and he wants to kiss and make up. Hide the mistletoe!

And bring out the hot buttered rum, because the holidays aren’t so easy for Ella O’Brien, either. Ella, who’s newly divorced, is still sharing the house with her ex while they wait for the place to sell, and they are still fighting over all the things they fought over when they were married. The love is gone. Isn’t it?

But Christmas has a way of working its magic. One of these women is about to rediscover love, another is going to remember what’s important in life and the third will find a new dream in the new year. Merry Ex-mas, ladies!

Praise for Sheila Roberts and Her Christmas Novels

“Roberts’ witty and effervescently funny holiday novel will warm hearts. Realistic characters populate the pages of this captivating story, which is a great escape from the holiday hustle and bustle.”

—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) on On Strike for Christmas

“Hilarious…a fun and festive debut.”

—Library Journal on On Strike for Christmas

“Roberts’ charming holiday-themed contemporary story set in the Seattle area offers hope, comfort, and a second chance for those who believe, and a nudge to change the minds of those who don’t.”

—Booklist on The Snow Globe

“Within minutes of cracking open the book, my mood was lifted…The warm, glowing feeling it gave me lasted for days.”

—First for Women on The Snow Globe

“This lighthearted and charming read will appeal to fans of Kristin Hannah’s magical, light romances and readers who enjoyed Roberts’s previous holiday offerings.”

—Library Journal on The Snow Globe (Starred Review)

“Roberts’s well-intentioned story serves as a light, pleasant reminder about the importance of balancing family, friends, love, and career.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Snow Globe

“Another warm holiday yarn from the author of The Snow Globe.”

—Library Journal on The Nine Lives of Christmas

“Witty characterizations, slapstick mishaps, and plenty of holiday cheer.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Nine Lives of Christmas

“If you love Christmas, cats and happy endings, Sheila Roberts’ The Nine Lives of Christmas is the ticket to great holiday reading pleasure!”

—Literarily Speaking

Merry Ex-Mas

Sheila Roberts

www.mirabooks.co.uk

For my pal Kathy

Acknowledgments

I had so much fun writing this book! Of course, it’s easy to have fun when you work with great people. Huge thanks to my agent, Paige Wheeler, and my editor, Paula Eykelhof. I’m grateful to both of you for your guidance and input. A big thanks to Janet, owner of Blinx on Bainbridge Island, WA, for giving me a glimpse into the busy life of a shop owner, to my friend Susan Sandeno, wedding cake expert, for sharing some of your cake decorating secrets with me, and to Robert Rabe, super chef, for answering my many questions about running a restaurant. A big yeehaw and thank-you to Ed Kerr and all his pals for helping me produce Jake’s song, “Merry Christmas, Mama.” And to all my friends who are mothers-in-law… None of you were the inspiration for the mother-in-law in this book! Finally, thanks as always to the brain trust: Susan Wiggs, Kate Breslin, Anjali Banerjee and Elsa Watson. You all rock and I hope Santa brings each of you a sleigh load of chocolate.

Dear Reader,

I’ve got to say, I love Christmas. Love everything about it—the decorations, the goodies, the presents, the Christmas Eve service, even the crazy busyness. I especially love getting a chance to gather with my family to celebrate. Believe me, my family knows how to celebrate. We are fun, fun, fun!

But I realize that for many of us the holidays can sometimes be more stressful than fun, especially when dealing with difficult family members. And when you start adding former spouses to the mix it can make you want to say more than, “Ho, ho, ho.”

I’m hoping Cass Wilkes, her friends and their exes will give you a laugh and maybe even some hope. I sure enjoyed writing about them, especially Ella and her ex-husband, Jake.

I must confess, Jake stole my heart. He even wound up with his own country music video, “Merry Christmas, Mama,” which I hope you’ll all check out on YouTube. He was kind enough to give me a role in it. Of course, he conveniently neglected to tell me about the rude indignities I’d suffer. Oh, well, that’s show biz. Not content with a music video, he’s got his own webpage, www.songsbyjake.com, where you can read more of his thoughts, see pictures and hear some of his music.

Meanwhile, I hope you’ll enjoy the ride as Cass, Ella, Charley and their friends get ready for a crazy Christmas filled with everything from jingle bells to wedding bells.

You can find me on Facebook and Twitter, and please stop by my website, www.sheilasplace.com.

Sheila

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Excerpt

Recipes

1

Once in a while, if a woman is really lucky, the perfect day she envisioned turns out to be just that. This was going to be one of those days, Cass Wilkes thought as she set the platter of carved turkey on her dining table.

She surveyed her handiwork with a smile. Everything was Martha Stewart–lovely from the china and crystal to the Thanksgiving centerpiece she’d bought at Lupine Floral, and her old Victorian home was filled with the aroma of herbs and spices. The dining room window framed a greeting-card-worthy winter scene—her front lawn with its trees and shrubs draped in frosty white and the snowcapped mountains looming beyond.

The snow had done what all good snow should do; it had stopped in plenty of time for road crews to clear the way for travelers. Unlike Thanksgiving last year, the town of Icicle Falls was humming with visitors looking for a holiday getaway. Great for business, especially when you owned a bakery. This weekend, gingerbread boys and girls would march out the door of Gingerbread Haus in droves and money would march right into Cass’s bank account—a good thing since she suspected she was going to have a wedding to pay for in a year or so.

A whoop of male excitement came from the living room, followed by cheers. The football game on TV was nearing its end and obviously the favored team had scored a touchdown.

“Okay, that’s everything from the kitchen,” said Dot Morrison, Cass’s mentor and former boss, as she placed a serving bowl heaped with stuffing, along with another full of mashed potatoes, on the table. Normally Dot would have been celebrating with her daughter, but Tilda was on patrol, keeping Icicle Falls safe from…who knew? Their town wasn’t exactly a hotbed of crime.