Prequel Novella: The Sunshine Valley Series
The Christmas Wish
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in this Sunshine Valley novella from USA Today bestselling author Melinda Curtis that will appeal to fans of RaeAnne Thayne and Sheila Roberts.
Everyone in Sunshine Valley, Colorado, is in the Christmas spirit except for Everett Bollinger, the new town manager. With money tighter than ever, Everett has had to make some tough decisions about the local holiday celebration. And taking the blame has put him in a very un-festive mood.
Rosalie Reyes has big plans to open her new pet shop during the Christmas parade. But it seems like Everett is determined to sabotage the parade and her business too. With the help of the local matchmakers and a rambunctious Saint Bernard named Remy, Rosalie is about to unleash the town’s holiday cheer and make it a paws-itively amazing Christmas for all. Including a certain town manager who’s about to discover the reason for the season…is love.
Tropes: small town, second chance romance, matchmakers, fish-out-of-water, pet store romance, rom-com
Excerpt:
Everyone in town knew Rosalie Easley Reyes.
And today, two days after Thanksgiving, Rosalie was making sure everyone in town saw her.
It was snowing, but only just, as if the sky above Sunshine, Colorado, couldn’t decide if it should or shouldn’t.
Shouldn’t, please.
Rosalie walked the length of the town square, trying not to shiver.
Pearl, the oldest waitress at the Saddle Horn diner, came out of the pharmacy bundled up for the cold. “Well now.” She handed out one of her rare smiles. “Don’t you two have the Christmas spirit?”
“Yep.” Rosalie glanced down at Remington, her dog, and kept walking. And walking.
Past the bakery. By Los Consuelos. Down Sunny Avenue. Up Center Avenue and past the dilapidated, empty warehouse. Back to Main Street and around the town square.
She approached the town hall where the Widows Club board stood huddled as if planning their next event. They waved.
Shoppers got out of her way. Kids stared. The younger ones stopped playing in the snow in the town square and gawked.
“Are you Santa’s helpers?” one of the kids asked, running over.
Two other boys joined the first, cheeks red from the cold.
“We are.” Rosalie slowed, risking freezing. Her green flannel elf onsie wasn’t as warm as Remington’s thick fur coat. “This is Remy.” She straightened the Saint Bernard’s antlers and smoothed his plush sweater so the words Merry Christmas from Sunshine Pets were more easily visible.
“There’s no reindeer named Remy,” the young ring-leader scoffed.
Before Rosalie could answer, Remy did. As dogs went, he was a talker, working his vocal chords up and down the spectrum like a baritone in the opera.
Ra-roo-roo-roo-arumph.
“Yes, Remy. I know.” Rosalie leaned down as if imparting an important secret to the children. “Remy says he’s no reindeer. He’s Santa’s dog, here to remind you not to forget your pets this Christmas. They need a gift under the tree too, which can be found right around the corner at Sunshine Pets.”
“Subtle.” The deep, familiar voice from behind Rosalie was loaded with sarcasm.
And just when she’d been about to hand out pet store flyers for the little tykes to give their parents.
Rosalie turned, bringing Remy around with her so she could face her nemesis – Everett Bollinger, the new town manager and all-around killjoy.
“Hey, kids,” Everett said without taking his eyes off Rosalie, “there are free candy canes at the town hall.”
The children scampered off.
“Free?” Rosalie gasped dramatically, which in the cold nearly gave her a shiver-spasm.
Everett had been hired to balance the town’s budget. Nothing in Sunshine was free anymore.
“To promote the town hall toy drive.” Everett was tall, broad-shouldered, and disapproving where he should have been tall, broad-shouldered, and kind. He had the appearance of a nice guy – balanced features, gray eyes behind wire rim glasses, brown hair threaded with occasional strands of gray. It was just when he spoke that the façade of kindness cracked, and you knew ice flowed in his veins. People in town had taken to calling him Scrooge. “I admit, free candy canes were inspired by your Black Friday promotion.”
“But you hated that idea.” She’d given out a hundred candy canes on Friday, threading the red and white stem through white felt kitten faces. When he found one discarded kitten face in the snow, he’d claimed Rosalie was contributing to litter and had made her stop.
Since she’d opened her pet shop a few weeks ago, Everett had constantly trounced her efforts to market the business. The signs she put up on the way into town were against code. The sandwich board placards she placed on the corner of her street were trip hazards to shoppers. The flyers she’d left on car windshields were against the town nuisance ordinance.
Someone was a nuisance, all right.
Scrooge gave her a tight smile. “I made the candy cane idea fall within Sunshine’s guidelines.”
“Without branding.” Rosalie pointed out, patting Remy’s front flank, drawing him closer as the wind from Saddle Horn Mountain whipped though Main Street.
Remy stared up at Everett and spoke: Aroo-arumph.
Everett glanced from Remy to Rosalie.
Rosalie gave her adversary a half-grin. “Remy says using my idea is stealing.”
Everett’s mouth formed a grim line.
Too late, Rosalie remembered Everett’s history. “I’m sorry I…I shouldn’t have said that.”
It began to snow in earnest – slow, silent flakes that swirled around them as if trying to block out the kids playing in the snow, the shoppers hurrying from store to store, and the painful memories of the past.
“You should get inside,” Everett said in a husky voice.
“Walking my dog isn’t against any ordinance in Sunshine.” She gripped Remy’s leash in her red-mittened hands. “Why are you trying to sabotage my business?”
“Rosalie.” Everett moved closer and gave Remy a pat on the head, being careful of his antlers. “You’re out here without a jacket, and it’s below freezing.”
He hadn’t answered her question.
“Santa’s elves don’t wear jackets.” Despite her best efforts, Rosalie shivered.
Everett sighed. “Santa’s elves have Christmas magic to keep them warm.”
Her chest constricted.
He’d mentioned Christmas magic, a clue that there might be a heart buried beneath all that frozen tundra.
Impossible.
Rosalie lifted her chin. “If you want to see Christmas magic, you should come to Sunshine Pets.”
He sighed again, but it wasn’t an angry sigh. In fact, a smile seemed to be lingering at the corner of his mouth.
She waited for that smile, despite snow and wind and cold. She waited and wondered if his smile would have the same impact as his use of the words “Christmas magic.”
The smile didn’t come. “Don’t you ever give up, Rosalie?”
“Nope.” Rosalie smiled brightly at her adversary because no one ever beat city hall by shouting. “I’m looking forward to our next Holiday Event Committee meeting.” The group he’d formed to plan celebrations of holidays year-round. “What time is it again?”
“Monday after you close up shop for the day.” Everett left her on the sidewalk and headed toward the bakery.
“See you around.” Rosalie breathed easier now that his back was to her. “Come on, Remy. Let’s spread more holiday cheer – ” and awareness of her pet store “ – before I lose feeling in my legs.”
Besides, there was bound to be an ordinance against frozen business owners on the sidewalk.
The Story Behind the Story
We used to have a very talkative St. Bernard mix. Remington would hold conversations with you and was the most patient dog ever. I thought he deserved a feature in a book. I hope I did him proud.
When I was asked to write a holiday novella in the Sunshine Valley series, my mind immediately drifted toward Scrooge - one of my favorite holiday stories. I do so love to write about characters in need of redemption. And what better time to be redeemed than at Christmas!
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