Once Upon a Christmas (Kismet Bay Book 1) Read online

  Once Upon a Christmas

  Kismet Bay Book One

  Dawn Brower

  Monarchal Glenn Press

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Excerpt: Heart In Waiting

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Afterword

  About The Author

  Also by Dawn Brower

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Once Upon a Christmas Copyright © 2018 Dawn Brower

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  For all the readers that love reading my contemporary books. I hope you enjoy the beginning of the Kismet Bay tales.

  Acknowledgments

  Elizabeth Evans, thank you for being my rock and always reading my roughest of rough drafts. I appreciate you more than I can ever express.

  Chapter 1

  December in Kismet Bay…

  Light snow drifted from the sky and touched the ground. It didn’t stick and created more wet pavement and mud than anything else. Holly Strange stared out the window in disgust. Christmas was her favorite time of the year, and the annual Cocoa Crawl the one event she was excited for. All the businesses on Main Street participated. She owned Serendipity Lane with her older sister Ivy. Holly had a fraternal twin, Sage, but she rarely returned to Kismet Bay. Everything in the store was handcrafted and selected with care. They held classes to teach people crafting and painting. They had one scheduled later that evening on building terrariums. Perhaps an odd choice for the middle of winter, but people needed plants in their lives. They added balance and were also aesthetically pleasing. Serendipity Lane specialized it things that made a person feel good—body, mind, and soul.

  The cocoa crawl gave the local residents a chance to see what was new in their shop and drew in tourists. It was one of their biggest sale days of the year…if the weather decided to cooperate that is. The Santa parade would kick off in an hour and then the Cocoa Crawl immediately upon its conclusion. Holly had her secret coca recipe brewing already in preparation. This year there was a side competition. The participants voted on their favorite cocoa and the winner would be the official cocoa at the Santa house the following year. That was money Serendipity Lane could use to help their expansion ideas.

  “Stop staring out the window as if it’s going to make the weather change to your liking,” Ivy said. She was at the counter preparing the hand crafted soap cupcakes for sale. Ivy had made them earlier in the week and they had finally set enough to put out on a shelf. They looked like red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting on top of them. Ivy had even added what looked like red sprinkles on the white tops. The little creations were so intricate and detailed they had to watch them when little children came into the store. Once, when they first opened, a toddler had stuffed one in his mouth. They didn’t taste as delicious as they looked…

  Holly glared at her sister, but Ivy was too busy to notice the effort. She sighed. “It has to be perfect.” She turned away and glanced back out the window. The Cocoa Crawl would start soon. The parade had probably already ended. She stared down the street as far as her view would allow. People were already starting to make their way into the many shops. A couple stopped outside of Grape Flavors Winery and stared at the window display. Holly’s cousins Leilia and Caprecia Strange owned the winery. They carried a large variety of local wines, and also a selection from their vineyard.

  She turned to Ivy. “Do you think we’ll have a lot of people?”

  Ivy finished setting out the soap cupcakes. “It will be the same, if not better, as it is every year. Quit worrying so much.”

  “I can’t help it,” she replied. “It’s how I am with everything.”

  The view outside of her shop beckoned to her again. She desperately needed for this all to work. Holly had to prove to her sister that she wasn’t a flake and Ivy had made the right decision allowing her to be a part of Serendipity Lane. Holly had foregone college and instead stayed in Kismet Bay to help her sister open the business. They’d been left an inheritance from their maternal grandmother and it made sense. Holly’s twin, Sage, had left town and started an event planning business. She had wanted to get out of Kismet Bay as fast as possible. So far Fortune’s Fortitude had been successful. Sage had landed several high profile weddings, and a fiftieth anniversary party. If things continued in that vein Sage would be able to expand and hire more employees.

  “I’m going to go to Witch’s Brew for some coffee.” Holly pulled her coat off of a nearby hook. “Do you want anything?”

  “Wait.” Ivy walked around the counter and reached underneath. She pulled out a package and then handed it to her. “Give this to Esmeralda. It’s her gift for Tristan.”

  Esmeralda and Tristan owned the Witch’s Brew Coffee Shop. Esmeralda was another cousin. Kismet Bay was nearly overrun with the Strange family. Their ancestor Thomas Strange was the first mayor and had been instrumental in founding Kismet Bay. Ever since they’d all played a part in running the town. Her father, Adam Strange, was the current mayor. His twin, Bowen, was the chief of police, and her Uncle Sebastian—the oldest of the Strange brothers was the district attorney.

  “What is it?” Holly didn’t like not knowing something.

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “If she gives it to him while you’re there you’ll find out. Why do you care? It’s not for you.”

  She shrugged. “I just do.” Holly tucked the package under her arm. “Do you want a coffee?”

  “No.” Ivy shook her head. “But if you don’t mind stop by Blooms of Destiny on your way back. Amadea and Ophelia should have the poinsettias I ordered in. I’d like them for our window display.”

  She wrinkled her nose. She didn’t understand her cousins’ passion for flowers. They knew everything about all types of plants and herbs. Though she supposed the herb part came in handy sometimes. The town all believed the Strange family had something magical looking out for them. Holly didn’t really think they did. Especially, in regards to love. They all had their fair share of bad luck in that department. The legend said that love found them when they least expected it, and sometimes it was there all along. All hogwash. Love didn’t appear out of nowhere. She’d hold that belief for the rest of her life.

  “Fine,” Holly agreed. “I’ll be back before you know I’m gone.”

  “Somehow I doubt that.” Ivy chuckled.

  Holly stuck out her tongue and exited the shop. Maybe she’d take her time after all…

  Chapter 2

  The town of Kismet Bay resembled just about any quintessential small village. It was so picture perfect it almost made his teeth hurt from the sweetness. Nicholas Bell preferred the bustling of the big city and the no-nonsense attitude of its inhabitants. The villagers of Kismet Bay probably all knew each other and asked after their respective family members.

  “Why are we here again?” Nicholas turned to his friend Gabriel Reed and scowled. “I don’t do—cutesy.”

  “Relax,” Gabriel told him. “We’re only here for a couple days to make my parents happy and reassure them I’m not going to die or something.” He patted Nicholas on the back. “We’ll be on our way to a warm sandy beach before you have time to have that
allergic reaction you’ve been bravely holding back.”

  Nicholas had to resist the urge to snarl at his best friend. Gabriel was a wide receiver for the Houston Runaways. He’d injured his knee in a playoff game and had been benched ever since. The team doctor had told him his prognosis didn’t look good, and the assessment from the physical therapist hadn’t been any better. Gabriel’s playing days appeared to be behind him, but his friend didn’t want to give up so easily. He’d talked Nicholas into accompanying him to visit his parents and then visit a different specialist in the Bahamas. Like what kind of quack practiced there? Nicholas doubted the doctor would give him any better odds than the sports physicians had, but Gabriel was his friend and he’d stand by his side through the whole ordeal.

  “Is that a coffee shop?” Nicholas pointed to the storefront. “Witch’s Brew? What kind of name is that?”

  Gabriel shrugged. “I can’t say. It’s been a while since I’ve been back in Kismet Bay. Why don’t we go inside and see what they have to offer.”

  They headed to the entrance but Nicholas didn’t have time to reach the door. It flew open and a brunette barreled into him. Hot coffee spilled down the front of his blue dress shirt and he yelped as it burned his skin. “What’s wrong with you?” Anger poured from his voice as he spoke. He was really starting to hate this town, and the people didn’t seem to have much to offer either.

  “I’m so sorry.” The young woman stepped forward and placed her hand on his chest. Sparks shot through him at her touch and he glanced into her eyes. They were the color of the ocean at high noon. Her hair wasn’t a normal brown. Red highlights ran through the chocolate locks and nearly sparkled in the sunlight. She was gorgeous…

  “It’s nothing.” He pushed her hand away. Her touch did something to him and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Holly?” Gabriel stepped next to him. “What’s going on?”

  She glanced at Gabriel. Her lips tilted upward into the most brilliant smile Nicholas had ever seen in his life. It was like a sucker punch right in the center of his chest. The part that already stung from the burn her coffee had given him. What was it about her that made him feel things he had never felt in his entire life? He still didn’t want those emotions rolling through him and he wanted to put some distance between them.

  She walked around Nicholas and hugged Gabriel. Holly stepped back and almost ran into Nicholas again. He reached out and steadied her before she lost her balance. She looked back at him and said, “I’m sorry. I promise I’m not usually this clumsy.”

  “It’s fine,” he replied gruffly.

  Holly returned her attention to Gabriel. “I heard about your injury.” She waved her hands in an excited manner. “Well we saw it happen. It’s all the sports people would talk about. We don’t miss any of the Runaway’s games.” She glanced away from Gabriel and stared at the sleeve of her jacket, then started to pick at some imaginary piece of lint or perhaps a stray thread. Nicholas didn’t presume to understand what she was attempting to do. “I mean the whole family…” Holly said that as if that last statement cleared everything up. It certainly hadn’t for Nicholas.

  It didn’t seem to faze Gabriel. He nodded at her and let her act befuddled. “How is Ivy?” he asked her. That piqued Nicholas’s curiosity. Who the hell was Ivy?

  “Um…” Holly looked at everything but Gabriel. “She’s fine. Just fine. You don’t need to worry about her.” She pushed her hands into her pocket and then pulled out her phone. “If you’ll excuse me I have to go. Since you’re in town you should do the Cocoa Crawl. It’ll be fun.” With those words she rushed away from them and slipped into what appeared to be a flower shop. It has an equally peculiar name—Blooms of Destiny. What was with the businesses in this little backwoods town?

  “Cocoa Crawl?” Nicholas lifted a brow.

  “We don’t have to do it if you don’t want. We purchase a Santa cup at one of the stores and then we can get a taste of all the varieties of cocoa the shops have to offer.” Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly. “The proceeds go to the local charity that helps the needy families in the community. The Strange family has been running the charity almost since the town’s founding. It’s a tradition.”

  “Strange family?” If he kept lifting his brow it would fly off his forehead forever. “Is that a euphemism or their real name?”

  “I’d never make something like that up.” Gabriel slapped his shoulder lightly. “The Strange’s practically run this town. The mayor on down…” He glanced at the flower shop Holly had disappeared into. “Holly is one of them.”

  “And this mysterious Ivy as well?” Nicholas couldn’t help his curiosity. His friend wasn’t often interested in the females around him unless he wanted the occasional one night stand, and even those were few and far between.

  Gabriel sighed. “Yes, and I can tell you have questions. It’s Holly you’re more interested in. If you want to learn about the Strange’s then we’ll have to do the crawl. Trust me. They will all be out and participating in some fashion.” He gestured toward him. “Come on let’s go into one of the shops and buy our Santa mug. They’ll all have them.”

  Nicholas resigned himself to doing as Gabriel suggested. What else did he have to do in this tiny village anyway?”

  Chapter 3

  Holly carried the poinsettias into Serendipity Lane and set them on the counter. Ivy must be in the backroom because she wasn’t at the front counter. They didn’t have any customers and the bell would have alerted her to Holly’s entrance. She should appear any second to see if someone needed her assistance. Holly stared at the door and nibbled on her bottom lip. Her sister wouldn’t be happy that her ex-boyfriend had returned to Kismet Bay.

  Gabriel had been the love of her life but he’d abandoned her for the promise of fame and fortune. Now he was injured and might not ever be able to play football professionally again. She didn’t want to bring that up to Gabriel. It had to be a sore spot for him. She should have asked him why he’d returned and how long he planned to stay. If his friend didn’t stir something crazy inside of her she might have. She hadn’t even bothered to find out his name. That’s how insane he made her feel. Holly still couldn’t believe she’d spilled all her coffee on him. What must the man think of her?

  “Oh,” Ivy said as she came to the counter. “It’s just you. Has the crawl begun?”

  “Yes,” she answered. “Are those the Santa mugs?” Each store had a limited supply to sell to people that wanted to participate. The cups gave everyone access to the hot cocoa offered in each store. Everyone could drink as much cocoa as they could stand. “Why didn’t you have them out already? I thought you’d be doing that while I was away.” She should have stayed and foregone the coffee. “Here let me help you.”

  “What’s going on with you?” Ivy pushed her eyebrows together. “You’re acting odd.”

  “I’m fine.” She silently started working and placed the cups in neat rows on the shelf behind the counter. Most of their hot cocoa was in a large pot in the backroom, but they’d moved some to a dispenser on a nearby counter. Customers who already had their cup could come in and help themselves. Those that needed the Santa mug could come to the register and purchase it.

  “You were gone for a while. What took you so long?” Ivy picked up the poinsettias and took them over to the window display. She arranged them on each side of a painting commissioned by a local artist. They often showed local work and helped the artist sell them. Serendipity Lane took a small percentage from the sale.

  “I had a tiny mishap outside of Witch’s Brew.” Holly didn’t meet Ivy’s gaze. She was still rather embarrassed she spilt her coffee on the handsome man she’d run into. She’d never seen a more gorgeous male. He had hair as dark as the night sky and blue eyes that were equally as dark they almost appeared black. His scowl had only made them darken further. He wasn’t a player on the Runaways. She couldn’t help wondering how Gabriel was acquainted with him.

 
“Oh? That’s all you’re going to say?”

  Holly was saved by the bell or rather the shop door opening as crawl participants entered. They all had their own Santa cups so she directed them where they could find Serendipity Lane’s version of the chocolate beverage. She hoped they liked it…

  “What are you staring at?” a man asked her. She nearly jumped out of her skin. How the hell had they managed to sneak up on her. With all the people now coming in and out of the shop it was easy enough to do. Especially with her so lost in her own thoughts.

  Holly turned to meet his gaze. “Hello, again.” Where was Gabriel? Shouldn’t he be doing the crawl with his friend? She scanned the shop looking for Ivy, but she wasn’t anywhere around. Where had she gone? If she realized Gabriel was in town she’d throw a hissy fit. She still loved him. Holly didn’t believe for a second that she didn’t, but there was also a fine line between love and hate. Gabriel had hurt her deeply and Ivy bore those scars openly.

  “I don’t think we were properly introduced.” He held out his hand. “I’m Nicholas Bell.”

  “Um. It’s nice to meet you.” Why was she so tongue tied with this man? “Are you in town for long?”

  “Not if I can help it,” he answered. “Gabe needed to spend a couple of days with his family before we travel to somewhere with much better weather for the remainder of the holidays.”

  “Oh?” He must think her the densest woman he’d ever met. “I see.” She nodded to the Santa cup in his hand. “Are you here for some cocoa?”