Falling like snowflakes, p.1
Falling Like Snowflakes, page 1
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR FALLING LIKE SNOWFLAKES
“If you enjoy romance blended with suspense, you’re going to love Denise Hunter’s latest novel. Falling Like Snowflakes will make your heart race twice over—from dread of the bad guys and from the joy of watching Beau and Eden fall in love.”
—Robin Lee Hatcher, bestselling author of Whenever You Come Around and Keeper of the Stars
“Denise Hunter writes the most complex, fascinating, and yummy romances out there! Falling Like Snowflakes has it all: a vulnerable young woman on the run with her child, a hunky hero with the guts and determination to help her, and a rugged setting along the coast of Maine. This novel is one you’ll reread again and again.”
—Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author of The Inn at Ocean’s Edge and the Hope Beach series
“Hunter is a master romance storyteller. Falling Like Snowflakes is charming and fun with a twist of mystery and intrigue. A story that’s sure to endure as a classic reader favorite.”
—Rachel Hauck, author of The Wedding Dress and the Royal Wedding series
“A handful of authors dominate my must-read list, and Denise Hunter is right at the top. Falling Like Snowflakes is a taut romantic thriller that will warm you to the core.”
—Julie Lessman, award-winning author of the Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, and Heart of San Francisco series
“Falling Like Snowflakes is a story of letting go, finding home, and discovering who you really are. It’s a story that highlights the importance of community and faith within a romance that will warm your heart. You’ll discover winter in Maine—and find yourself ready to vacation there when the snowflakes fall. And maybe along the journey, you’ll discover the freedom of letting go and trusting God.”
—Cara Putman, award-winning author of Shadowed by Grace and Where Treetops Glisten
PRAISE FOR DENISE HUNTER
“. . . a warm, inspirational tale of ambition, confidence, family, and love.”
—Booklist on The Wishing Season
“A beautiful story—poignant and heartwarming, filled with delightful characters and intense emotion. Chapel Springs is a place anyone would love to call home.”
—RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author on The Wishing Season
“. . . sparkling contemporary tale of competing ambitions, wounded personalities, and powerful attraction.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Wishing Season
“. . . skillfully combines elements of romance, family stories, and kitchen disasters. Fans of Colleen Coble and Robin Lee Hatcher will enjoy this winter-themed novel.”
—Library Journal on The Wishing Season
“This is an emotional tale of overcoming the fear of loss to love again and God’s love, made manifest through people, healing all wounds. The heroine’s doubts, fears, and eventual acceptance of the gift God has given her are told in a sympathetic and heartwarming way. The hero’s steadfastness is poignantly presented as well.”
—Romantic Times, 4 stars on Dancing with Fireflies
“Romance lovers will . . . fall for this gentleman who places his beloved’s needs before his own as faith guides him.”
—Booklist on Dancing with Fireflies
“Hunter’s latest Chapel Springs Romance is a lovely story of lost and found, with a heroine struggling to accept that trusting God doesn’t make life perfect—without loss or sorrow—but can bring great joy. The hero’s love for her and willingness to lose her to save her is quite moving.”
—Romantic Times, 4 stars on Barefoot Summer
“Jane Austen fans will appreciate the subtle yet delightful Austen vibe that flavors this contemporary cowboy romance—and not just because Pride & Prejudice is protagonist Annie’s favorite book. The Trouble with Cowboys is a fast, fun, and touching read with the added draw of a first kiss that is sure to make my Top 5 Fictional Kisses of 2012. So saddle up, ladies: We have a winner!”
—USAToday.com
“In the third and final book of the Big Sky series (which can be read out of order), Hunter may use the term ‘cowboy’ too much, but she creates an endearing story of a strong woman who learns to have faith in people and God’s plan—even if it doesn’t make sense at first. This read will not only have fans cheering the characters on, it will leave them feeling inspired in their own lives.”
—Romantic Times, 4 stars on The Trouble with Cowboys
“. . . a story filled with romantic tension . . . Hunter’s well-developed characters and plot twists make for a delightful and inspirational journey.”
—Publishers Weekly review of The Trouble with Cowboys
“A fun weekend read with equal parts spunk and spice, Denise Hunter’s The Accidental Bride will keep readers lassoed up tight ’til the cows come home.”
—USA Today
OTHER NOVELS BY DENISE HUNTER
THE SUMMER HARBOR SERIES
Falling Like Snowflakes
The Goodbye Bride (available March 2016)
THE CHAPEL SPRINGS ROMANCE SERIES
Barefoot Summer
Dancing with Fireflies
The Wishing Season
Married ’til Monday
A December Bride (novella)
THE BIG SKY ROMANCE SERIES
A Cowboy’s Touch
The Accidental Bride
The Trouble with Cowboys
NANTUCKET LOVE STORIES
Driftwood Lane
Seaside Letters
The Convenient Groom
Surrender Bay
Sweetwater Gap
NOVELLAS INCLUDED IN
Smitten
Secretly Smitten
Smitten Book Club
© 2015 by Denise Hunter
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7180-2372-0 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hunter, Denise, 1968-
Falling like snowflakes / Denise Hunter.
pages ; cm. -- (Summer Harbor ; 1)
Summary: "When the Christmas season finds Eden in Summer Harbor, Maine, she's on the run from trouble. Romance is the last thing on her mind. Riding in a bus in the thickly falling snow, Eden Davis wonders how it ever came to this -- fleeing under cover of night with young Micah sleeping fitfully in the seat beside her. When a winter storm strands them in Summer Harbor, Maine, Eden wonders if what might have been the end could be a new beginning. Beau Callahan is a habitual problem-solver. He's recently left his job with the sheriff's department to take over the family Christmas tree farm to save it from insolvency. But he's flummoxed. During the busiest season of the year, he's shorthanded. Then Eden shows up looking for work, and Beau believes he's been rescued. Competent, smart, and beautiful, Eden's also guarded and quiet. He soon figures out she comes with a boatload of secrets. But Beau can't seem to help himself from falling for her. As Christmas Eve approaches, Beau discovers he'll do anything to keep Eden safe. But who's going to protect his heart from a woman who can't seem to trust again?"-- Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-7180-2371-3 (softcover)
1. Single women--Fiction. 2. Man-woman relationships--Fiction. 3. Christmas stories.
I. Title.
PS3608.U5925F35 2015
813'.6--dc23
2015011117
15 16 17 18 19 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Author Note
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
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
Acknowledgments
An Excerpt from a December Bride
About the Author
Author Note
Dear Reader,
Welcome to my brand-new Summer Harbor series! I’m so excited to introduce you to the Callahan brothers. I didn’t have to go far for inspiration. As the mother of three sons, I sometimes joke that I suffer from testosterone poisoning. But I’ve secretly enjoyed our male-dominated household. I’ve had a front-row seat to the camaraderie, comedy, and competition that goes on when three male siblings interact. It’s fascinating and entertaining, even more so as they become grown men! I hope you enjoy getting to know the Callahan brothers.
Before starting this series I had never been to Maine. Since my author friend and critique partner Colleen Coble was also setting a series there, we decided to take our research trip together. We had a blast. The rugged coastline, the quiet harbors, and the hearty communities—it was the perfect place for our characters to fall in love! As we brainstormed, we decided to set our fictional towns close by each other and share a couple of characters. So if you’re a reader of Colleen’s, you might recognize a few places and faces as you read Falling Like Snowflakes. We hope that brings a smile to your face. If you’re not acquainted with Colleen’s work and decide you can’t get enough of Down East Maine, check out her Sunset Cove series!
In the meantime, grab your favorite drink, settle back in your chair, and come along on a journey to a wonderful place called Summer Harbor.
Blessings!
Denise
Chapter 1
It was amazing, the depth of courage a mother could find when the life of her child was on the line. Eden Martelli frowned at the map on the console beside her. She was somewhere northeast of Bar Harbor, following the coastline on Route 1. She’d made a wrong turn somewhere—it was starting to become a way of life.
She focused on the highway that stretched ahead, the weight of fatigue pushing on her shoulders. How many hours since her last catnap? It would be heaven to stretch out on a hotel bed for a few hours.
Micah slept against the passenger door, his lovey, Boo Bear, clutched in his arms. He had his days and nights mixed up. She wished he could see the pretty harbors and the colorful lobster buoys that dotted the water.
She checked her rearview mirror. The green minivan had been behind them since Ellsworth, a young woman driver with two kids in the back.
The engine made a loud clunking sound, and Eden frowned at the gauges. She had half a tank of gas, and the motor wasn’t running hot. The Buick was twenty-three years old, just two years younger than she was. She’d picked it up for a grand in Jacksonville, Florida. It wasn’t much, but then, it only had to get them to Loon Lake, Maine.
She’d risked a phone call to Karen on a burner phone that she’d since trashed. The woman had been surprised to hear from her. They hadn’t spoken since Karen and her daughter had moved to Sacramento during Eden’s senior year. Karen had been like a mother to her. Her property up in Loon Lake was sitting empty, she’d said. She was thinking of selling it. “Of course you can stay there awhile. No, I won’t mention it to anyone.”
So they had someplace to go. A place no one knew about. And they were almost there. She’d get them new identities, new lives.
She’d pawned her wedding set when they passed through Atlanta. God knew, they hadn’t given her what it was worth, but it was enough to buy them time while she got WhiteBox Designs back up and running. She’d had to abandon her clients, but she’d do whatever was necessary to win them back.
A loud clattering sounded, making Eden’s heart seize. The noise continued for several moments before blue smoke began billowing from beneath the hood.
No. No, no, no! Leave it to you to buy a lemon, Eden. You’re hopeless.
She eased off the accelerator but the clattering continued, and the smell of burning oil reached her nose. She put on her flashers, and a moment later the minivan passed.
There was nothing around but hills and trees. She’d gone through a town awhile back, but if she’d passed a service station, she hadn’t noticed. Her mind had been elsewhere for miles, making plans.
So much for that, she thought, watching blue smoke drift past. She spotted a green sign ahead and squinted through the smoke.
SUMMER HARBOR 5 MILES, it read.
The sign pointed right, and seeing little choice, Eden took the turn. She hoped the town was big enough to have a garage. She only had fifteen hundred dollars after the purchase of the car, and she was counting on that for her new start.
Her heart clamored inside her chest. This can’t be happening. They were so close. The clattering continued, so she kept a slow pace, hoping she wasn’t ruining the engine. It began to snow, big, wet flakes splashing onto her windshield, further hampering her vision.
What was she going to do?
First things first, Eden. Find a garage. Get an estimate.
Maybe it was something simple like a loose hose or wire. Or something cheap. Maybe a friendly mechanic would take one look at her hollow eyes and her quiet son and have mercy on them.
The two-lane road was hilly and curvy, and the five miles seemed to take forever. Finally, she passed a sign. WELCOME TO SUMMER HARBOR, INC. 1895. Houses popped up on the left and right as the road wound along the coast.
The road dipped and leveled as they entered the town proper. Summer Harbor looked like a Christmas postcard with quaint little shops and old-fashioned lamps, all of it glimmering under a fresh layer of snow. She caught a glimpse of the rocky coastline as she rounded a curve, keeping her eyes peeled for a service station.
On a different day, a different time, she might enjoy a visit here. Preferably during the summer when she imagined the wharf bustled with lobster boats and tourists. Though the town had a certain charm even now, primed for a festive Christmas season.
There! She spied a gas station with a tiny garage, tucked down a lane. She turned into the parking lot and shut off the engine. The sudden silence was profound.
She hated to awaken Micah. He hadn’t slept soundly since they’d fled. She touched his shoulder, and he startled awake. His body stiffened as reality settled once again on his little shoulders, and his eyes widened in that frightened-doe look she was starting to hate. No child of five should have to endure the things he had.
“Hey, kiddo. We’re having a little car trouble. Let’s get out and stretch our legs, okay?” She pulled their jackets from her book bag and helped Micah slip into his.
As she headed toward the garage, she pulled her cap low over her newly cut hair, checking over her shoulder as they hustled toward the door. She pulled up Micah’s hood and gathered him close.
There was only one guy in the building. He was sitting behind the register with his feet propped on the counter, working his iPhone with practiced fingers. He looked no older than a teenager with his boyish face, though he was making a valiant attempt at a beard.
He looked up, his pale cheeks flushing as his eyes cut to hers. He lowered his feet and sat up straight. “Hi there. How can I help you?”
She gave her best friendly smile. “I’m having some car trouble, and I’m in a bit of a hurry. Any chance someone could check it out?”
“Sorry. Our mechanic’s off today. He’ll be in Monday, though.”
Her heart thumped to the floor of her chest cavity. “Is there another garage I can try? I’m really hoping to get back on the road.”
He shrugged. “I’m afraid we’re it.”
She bit her lip. She should’ve stayed on the main road. Way to go, Eden. Another one of your stupid decisions.
“Well, hey, I can’t fix your car or nothing, but I know a little about engines. I could take a peek.”
She gave him a grateful look. “Really? Would you? I’d appreciate that so much. Maybe it’s just a loose hose or something, and I can be on my way.”
He followed her out to the car, Micah hugging close to her side. She explained the thunk and the clattering sound. The smell of burned oil still hung in the air, and a bit of smoke escaped as he lifted the hood.
She bit her lip as she watched him look around. After a few minutes he started the car, listening for a moment before shutting it off and getting back out. “I think you’ve thrown a rod.”
“What does that mean?”
He gave her a regretful look. “It’s not good. You’ll need to have the engine rebuilt.”
