Welcome to day 18 of Winter’s Giveaways.
Today we have the super sweet Candy little on the blog.
Candy has been generous enough to share her new Christmas story with us.
You can find Candy’s story along with 6 other in Hearts ‘n’ Holly Anthology
Hearts’n’Holly
Product Details
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 375 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: http://www.xoxopublishing.com
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0069C7T9I
Order here: Amazon
An anthology full of sensual and erotic love stories for the holiday season.
Featuring
Christmas is all about love, and do you know of a better Christmas gift than a true heart-to-heart connection? XoXo Publishing proudly presents Hearts and Holly, a Christmas compendium of romantic stories. Represented here are
new love and enduring love, first love and even married love, in a Christmas cornucopia of stories ranging from sweet to searing (and categorized accordingly for your reading delectation). All the stories revolve around the Christmas season, and all the stories will warm your heart. (Several of
the stories will warm you in other places, as well. LOL.) By the time you are finished reading Hearts and Holly, you will all be a true believer in Santa Claus…and you all know that Valentine’s Day is not the only holiday that celebrates love. (Hint: If you a person who cries happy tears, you may want to have a tissue handy.) Happy Holidays…and happy reading.
Sweet
Not all Gifts come Gift Wrapped Brianna Martini
Flour Power Catherine Grow
Special Delivery Cynthia MacGregor
One Christmas Wish Candy Little
Sexy
Naughty and Nice Tiana Johnson
LoveforChristmas Daisy Dunn
A Special Gift Shashauna P. Thomas
Searing
A Gift from St Nicholas Samantha Gentry
ONE CHRISTMAS WISH
by Candy Little
“If you had one wish for Christmas, what would it be?” Jennie asked.
“I’d wish for someone to love me.” I grabbed an Oreo off the plate on her kitchen table.
“Patty, why do you stay in the marriage if you’re miserable?” She dunked her cookie in her coffee, which made me cringe.
“I have kids to think about.” I gave my standard reply, although I recognized that the truth was that I was scared to be on my own.
“Are things really that bad?” She raised a quizzical red brow.
Jennie has been my best friend since high school and was maid of honor at my wedding, and even though I’d confided in her many times about the problems in my marriage over the last few months, she tended to think I was overreacting. She insisted that Doug loved me, but I just couldn’t see it.
“Things are getting worse every day,” I told her. “He doesn’t appreciate anything. He complains about everything. The house isn’t clean enough, supper isn’t cooked right, I’m spending too much money.” I wiped a tear away. “He never says that he loves me. He doesn’t even bother to hug or kiss me anymore.”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t have faults.” Jennie shrugged. “What man doesn’t?”
“Do you know what I got for Christmas last year? Nothing. Do you know what I got for my birthday? Nothing. Not even a card. Know what I’ll get for Christmas this year? Nothing!”
“But he’s faithful. He’s not cheating on you. That’s more than I can find.” She bit into her cookie a little harder than needed.
“I’m not so sure.” I took a few breaths, calming my aching heart. “His hours at work don’t add up. He goes out on the weekends and yells at me if I ask where’s he’s been.” I started crying. “I can’t take it anymore!”
“Oh, sweetie.” Jennie enveloped me with a hug. “Have you talked to Doug about your suspicions?”
“No.” I sobbed. “He’d just lie about it.”
“You’re probably right about that…but you need to find out the truth.”
“Christmas is in two days. I don’t want to say anything until after the holidays. The kids are so excited.”
“I still don’t believe he’s cheating, but if he is, you’re going to pack up your stuff and move in with me. I’m not going to let my best friend be taken advantage of.” She handed me my coat. “You go home right now and talk to Doug. I’ll expect a call later to fill me in.”
I went home and finished wrapping gifts before the kids got home from school. Then I started supper. I was loading the dishwasher when Doug got home. “Where have you been?”I asked.
“Working!”
“You’re two hours late.”
“Do I have to punch a time clock in my own house?”
“Why do you smell like perfume?”
36
“Why are you interrogating me?” He slammed the refrigerator door shut. “I’m the one working to pay the bills. If it weren’t for my job, we wouldn’t have gifts for Christmas.”
“What gifts?” I cried. “You won’t let me buy anything. The kids have exactly two presents each. That’s it!”
“Are you saying you don’t like the job I’m doing as a husband and father?”
I tried hard to control the emotions roiling inside me, but a few tears slipped out anyway. I somehow found the strength to ask the pressing question that had been weighing on my heart: “Are you bored in this marriage?”
“What?” Doug’s face lost all the anger.
“I mean, ten years is a long time to be with the same person. Is that why you’re looking for someone else?”
Tears welled up, but before I could cry, the smoke detector went off.
“The garlic bread!” I opened the oven door and smoke rolled out, filling the kitchen.
“Great, another burnt dinner.” Doug stalked out of the kitchen, leaving my question unanswered.
As upset as I was, I tried not to show any emotions over the next two days. I wanted the kids to have the best Christmas ever, since it would be their last in this house.
Doug and I didn’t talk at all. He avoided me, and I kept myself busy with baking. There might not be a lot of presents, but the kids would remember all the sweet treats and cookies. Besides, memories are more important than material possessions…or, at least, that’s what my mom always said when we didn’t have enough money to buy things. But I’d always wanted to give my kids more. I didn’t want them feeling left out or unloved because they didn’t have the same things other kids had.
Doug works hard, and we’d always had the necessities, but sometimes money got stretched pretty thin. I hadn’t minded so much before, when at least I felt like he loved me. I would find myself repeating my mom’s sentiment, and the kids never seem to mind. They’re happy with anything they get, no matter how small. When our marriage was happy, I’d made do with less and loved it. But now…well, now things were falling apart, and I found myself worrying about money. My head was full of questions like: What am I going to do? Where can we live? How can I support my kids?
I put the meager presents under the tree and went to bed, feeling lonely and sorry for myself. Doug stayed up, playing our one and only video game. I couldn’t remember a Christmas worse than this one. I cried into my pillow, thinking about the Christmas wish Jennie had asked me. I’d give anything to have someone love me. Once, I’d thought Doug loved me. I told myself, Maybe eventually I’ll find someone else who truly loves me.
That was my last thought as I drifted off to sleep. The next thought came at five in the morning as the kids bounced on the bed, yelling “Mommy, Daddy, Santa came! Santa came! Can we open all our presents?”
Kids get excited over the smallest things, I thought. Only a couple of presents, and they’re just as happy as if it were a hundred.
My mouth fell open, however, when I walked into the living room. Dozens of presents were crammed around the tree. “Where did all these come from?” I asked.
Doug slipped his arms around my waist and squeezed. “Santa came.” He kissed 37
the back of my neck. His breath skimmed along my skin, making it tingle.
I watched in amazement as the kids tore through the gifts, laughing and screaming with delight. After the gifts were all opened, and the paper settled into piles, Doug pulled a box from his shirt pocket.
“I think Santa left this one for you.”
I opened the box and cried, this time with tears of joy, for inside lay a beautiful double heart. One heart had diamonds and the other rubies.
“The two hearts are joined together, just like us.” Doug clasped the necklace around my neck. “Diamonds for strength and rubies for love.”
“How did you manage all this?”
“I took a second job. I’ve been saving for months.” He turned me around, gently kissing my lips. My head spun out of control as I tried to understand what was happening.
“But.…”
“I had to act mad when you asked where I’d been. If you kept asking questions, you might have figured out what was going on, and I wanted to surprise you.”
“But.…”
“I’m not having an affair. I’ll never be bored with you or our life.”
“But.…”
“I smelled like perfume because I was testing them, trying to find one for you.”
“But I didn’t get you anything,” I blurted.
“You’re my present. You’re all I’ll ever need.” His lips touched mine in a gentle kiss that still made my heart flutter. In that moment, I realized Santa had brought me my Christmas wish.
~ ~ ~
Candy Ann Little lives in Michigan with her husband and two teenage kids. She is a substitute for paraprofessionals and teacher assistants in the public schools, mostly working with the autistic program and kids with learning disabilities. Her favorite things to do besides writing are reading, cooking, and baking. She is the author of an inspirational, historical romance, The Unwilling Bride, and a cozy mystery, Death by Broken Heart. Her next book, an inspirational, contemporary romance, Unforgiving Ghosts, will be released in spring of 2012.
To enter for a chance to win an e-book Hearts’n’Holly, please tell Candy your favorite Winter traditions. Then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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