Heartwarming Holiday Wishes
Box Set 4 in Heartwarming Christmas Town
Welcome to Christmas Town, Maine!
Grab a mug of spiced cider, turn on the Christmas music, and get ready to recharge your holiday spirit, because Harlequin Heartwarming authors are bringing you ten sweet romances set in charming Christmas Town where local legend has it that a kiss beneath the gazebo on the town square during the holiday season means a wedding in the new year.
This year, there’s some special holiday magic to be discovered around town involving snow globes and Christmas stockings.
Here’s an excerpt from Melinda’s contribution to the collection.
Excerpt:
“Carol’s home! Carol’s home!”
Carol DeMerritt might have blushed if anyone had been out on the streets of Christmas Town to witness her mother and aunt doing a touchdown dance on their front porch, waving handfuls of tinsel like cheerleading pom-poms.
Lacking an audience, Carol stopped humming the chorus from I’ll Be Home for Christmas and got out of her car to appreciate the show.
“Carol’s home! Carol’s home!” The middle-aged welcoming committee wore matching elf outfits–fuzzy pink slipper socks, gray sweats, baggy red sweatshirts with sparkly Christmas trees, and shoulder-length, frizzy gray-brown hair that needed both a cut and a color.
Instantly, Carol knew what she was getting them for Christmas–gift certificates to the local hair salon, Carols & Curls. The women who’d raised her didn’t pamper themselves enough.
“Carol’s home! Carol’s home!” They were attempting chorus line kicks. The Rockettes would be appalled at their lack of rhythm.
Carol was comforted by their cheesy display. She’d driven all the way from South Philadelphia, feeling as if her toes would never thaw and she’d never smile again. But now she felt as warm as spring and couldn’t stop a smile from blooming on her face.
“Carol’s home! Carol’s home!” Mom and Aunt Sue rolled the tinsel round and round their hands, building up to a big finish. “Carol’s ho-o-o-me!”
Tinsel flew everywhere. Laughter filled the late afternoon air. And it was just like old times. Mom and Aunt Sue beating the doldrums from Carol with a big whack of the silly stick.
With the gloomies beaten back, Carol carried her suitcase up the snowy walk, past a traditional manger scene to her right and an inflatable reindeer holding a Christmas stocking to her left. The lights framing the porch glowed and the tree inside was jam-packed with ornaments, frosted with tinsel, and twinkling with lights.
Carol was home.
More inflatables and displays had invaded yards up and down the block, many dusted with snow. Trees glowed in windows. The sun was setting early, the way it always did this far north. Lights began to flicker on outside–white icicles, primary colored big bulbs, Mrs. Harrington’s pink racing lights (which matched her pink Barbie Jeep with Santa at the wheel).
Carol was home.
The thirty-degree temperature didn’t seem so cold. Her toes. Her nose. Her heart. Everything warmed up.
Why had she waited until the Wednesday before Christmas to come home?
Aunt Sue opened the door. Mom herded Carol inside. Aunt Sue slid an arm around Carol’s waist, resting her head against Carol’s shoulder before returning to her domain–the kitchen. Mom wrapped Carol in a fierce bear hug, smelling of coffee and fabric softener. There was Christmas music and the smell of cinnamon cookies fresh out of the oven.
Carol was home.
Her shoulders relaxed. Her neck felt less stiff. Her heart…Well, her heart might take longer to heal.
The cheery bungalow was crowded with boxes filled to the top with bags of food and wrapped gifts for Bookies Annual Christmas Food Drive. With so many boxes, Carol couldn’t see if there were any presents under the tree or stockings hung from the fireplace mantel. How many times had her holiday taken a back seat to whatever cause her mother was championing?
The joy Carol felt at her homecoming cracked. Cold seeped back into her toes, even as she told herself it didn’t matter. “It looks like you finished your Bookies contribution.” Without her. She’d wanted to help. Helping was what DeMerritts did.
Volunteering at school. Sitting vigil with families at hospitals. Charity food and toy drives. Clean-up days along the highway. You name it and the DeMerritt women helped.
And Carol had loved it.
Past tense.
The Story Behind the Story
This collection of stories featured special snow globes and surprise items found in Christmas stockings. I usually write light-hearted yet emotional stories for Christmas Town, but my father had passed away, along with my niece’s mother. And so, my contribution was more emotional than usual. But I find that to be the joy of these collections. You know there will be shared, small town traditions. But the range of stories brings something special to each set.
Amazon (now in Kindle Unlimited)
Barnes & Noble (print only)
Learn about the next box set HERE.
