Chantel Rhondeau: Excerpts from Romancing Christmas

This week I've released the Romancing Christmas boxed set, with nine other great romance authors. During our first day of sales yesterday, we've shot up the charts and are currently #1 in Holiday Fiction!! To kick off this release, once a day over the first two release weeks, I'll be posting an excerpt from each story. Take a look and then go buy this awesome set, priced at just 99 cents for its introduction! Grab it now before the price rises! Now, for today's book excerpt:

Romancing Christmas: 10 Love Stories to Spice up the Holidays ~EXCERPTS EDITION~

Multi-author boxed set
Release Date: November 3, 2014
Genre: Holiday Romance
Cover Artist: http://www.bellamediamanagement.com/

~~Blurb~~

Do you like your Christmas nice...or a little naughty? Bring the season into your heart with love stories to match your mood. This boxed set from 10 of today’s hottest romance authors will warm your heart even on the coldest night.

~~Purchase Links~~

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple iBooks
KOBO

A Christmas Miracle (a 2014 Carolyn Reader’s Choice winner) by Sandy Loyd

Megan Jenkins isn't looking forward to Christmas, a holiday that reminds her of what she had and lost, a husband who died right after Christmas the year before, leaving her a young widow with a fatherless son to raise. During the course of this Christmas Eve, Megan experiences her own Christmas Miracle as she learns the true meaning of giving with the help of Kevin Murdock, a long-time friend who's always been there for her.

Website: www.sandyloyd.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sloydwrites

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sloydwrites

~~Excerpt~~

Stealing covert glances now and then, Kevin noted how sad Megan appeared staring out the passenger window. He’d love to ease her sorrow, but he just didn’t know how. Nor did he dare broach the subject of his feelings. Her husband hadn’t even been dead a year. He had no idea when the time would be right, but one thing he did know, it was getting harder and harder to keep his thoughts to himself.

He’d hoped to spend some time alone with her during this trip, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen.

Adam had been his best friend, but he damn sure hadn’t deserved a wife like Megan, who centered her life on him, something Adam had expected as his due. And now that he was gone, she still pined for him.

If only he’d met her first. He’d treat her a lot better than his best friend ever did. At times Adam could be a selfish son of a bitch. Hell, just look at the way he died! In a parachuting accident. Couldn’t the bastard have waited a couple of weeks to try out his new toy? The holidays were a hard enough time for families without adding an accidental death to the load.

As he continued driving, their silence was only broken with one of Ryan’s occasional questions and Kevin’s short answer. When the quiet became too ear-shattering, he flipped on the radio, using the background music to keep his thoughts occupied for the next hour.

Eventually his torture came to an end when his exit came into view. He veered off the freeway and wound his way through the Brentwood streets.

At Oak, he turned right. Seconds later he eased the car into the Jenkins’ driveway and, after climbing out of the car, ran around to open Megan’s door. She grabbed on to the hand he offered.

“Thanks.” She smiled, then brushed at her jeans and buttoned her coat while he focused on helping Ryan.

“Need help, Uncle Kevin,” Ryan asked as Kevin began unloading the trunk.

He handed him his suitcase. “You got it?” he said, releasing the bag when Ryan nodded.

Loaded down, he followed Megan and her son up the walk.

The door opened just as his foot hit the top step.

“You made it. I was so worried that the storm would delay you.”

“No need. I made sure we had plenty of time.” As a licensed pilot, Kevin never took chances with anyone’s life, especially his own. Not like Adam, who lived to take chances—his last with deadly consequences.

“Look how much you’ve grown.” Leanne Jenkins hugged her grandson, then greeted her daughter-in-law with a nod and a curt, “Megan.” Turning her back on her in a most insulting way, she reached up to give him a peck on the cheek, and said, “It’s good to see you, Kevin.” Placing her arm around Ryan in a proprietary move, she guided the boy inside.

“After you,” Kevin said, smiling at Megan in an attempt to gloss over Leanne’s lack of warmth toward her. As she stepped ahead of him, he followed, wishing Leanne would quit blaming Megan for her son’s faults. In his mind the fault lie with Adam, maybe even his upbringing, but certainly not with his wife, who was left to mourn because of one of those faults.

Inside the sprawling mansion, he did his best to keep the conversation going.

Jerry Jenkins, Leanne’s husband did his part to help. The older man had always been Megan’s ally. He seemed to understand and accept his son’s failings, never once attributing them to her.