The Christmas Inn. Stella MacLean

      There’s room at the inn…but maybe not for long!

      As a favor to her brother, Marnie McLaughlan has agreed to spend Christmas at the lovely Mirabel Inn—as a mystery guest. But Marnie knows this favor is bound to be complicated because the owners need a confidential report immediately. Marnie’s impressions could affect their decision to sell.

      From the outset, the inn is not what she expects…and neither is the manager, Luke Harrison. She quickly develops a rapport with this very attractive widower and his adorable little boy. He knows something is up, yet she can’t tell him that the inn—which is home to Luke and his son—is in danger. Marnie’s torn between her obligation to her brother and her growing love for Luke. Fortunately, things have a way of working out at Christmas!

      Luke sat at his desk, staring at Marnie McLaughlan’s reservation

      It was made out to a Mr. and Mrs. Scott McLaughlan, and yet she’d shown up here alone…and without a wedding ring. Where was Mr. McLaughlan? Amanda at the front desk said he’d been very friendly on the phone and so disappointed when they didn’t have a vacancy that she’d offered him the room on the top floor. But why hadn’t he arrived with Marnie if he was so anxious to come here?

      Luke tapped the desk, his mind running over the possibilities.

      His concerns aside, he’d been surprised to find his son, Ethan, hanging off the woman’s leg when he got to the front of the house, but she seemed to take it in stride. What could have been an embarrassing situation had turned into a pleasant interlude with a beautiful woman. And with her heart-shaped face framed by dark curls and her well-toned body, Marnie McLaughlan was gorgeous and sexy….

      Her husband probably planned to arrive later, a simple enough explanation, and Luke hadn’t given her much opportunity to explain why they hadn’t arrived together. He would simply come up with a diplomatic way to find out when her husband was going to join her. It was essential that there be no disruptions during the inn’s Christmas event for couples, and a woman as beautiful as Marnie McLaughlan could prove to be a serious disruption…

      Dear Reader,

      Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love nothing better than to root around in my dozens of boxes of Christmas decorations, digging out all the ornaments, lights, wreaths and mantel decorations needed for every room. Each year my husband and I decorate two fir trees in our home, simply to be able to breathe in the scent unique to evergreens. Christmas for me is both a happy time with my family and also a sad time, as I recall one very lonely Christmas during which I spent hours caring for my sister Elizabeth as she made her graceful exit from this world.

      This book is also based on my experience as a mystery guest for a hotel chain near my hometown. Being a mystery guest is a lot like living in a parallel universe, as you will see in The Christmas Inn.

      But most of all, this story is about a man who’s surrounded by a self-made wall of loneliness and the inability to forgive, and a woman who has to overcome her fear of rejection to find that common ground called love.

      I believe that inside each of us is a Luke or a Marnie waiting to be rescued from our insecurities and fears to find the one person who makes life truly worthwhile.

      Please enjoy The Christmas Inn, and stay in touch by visiting my website, www.stellamaclean.com.

      Thank you, and may your Christmas season be filled with love, hope and the spirit of giving.

      Sincerely,

      Stella MacLean

      The Christmas Inn

      Stella MacLean

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Stella MacLean has spent her life collecting story ideas, waiting for the day someone would want to read about the characters who have lurked in her heart and mind for so many years. Stella’s love of reading and writing began in grade school and has continued to play a major role in her life. A longtime member of Romance Writers of America and a Golden Heart finalist, Stella enjoys the hours she spends tucked away in her office with her Maine coon cat, Emma Jean, and her imaginary friends while writing stories about love, life and happiness.

      Books by Stella MacLean

      HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE

      1487—HEART OF MY HEART 1553—BABY IN HER ARMS 1655—A CHILD CHANGES EVERYTHING

      Other titles by this author available in ebook format.

      This book is dedicated to all those people who serve the public as members of the hospitality industry. Thank you for being there and making the lives of people like me more enjoyable.

      And thank you to Sharon Allaby, friend, reader and fabulous cook.

      Contents

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Epilogue

       Excerpt

      CHAPTER ONE

      ELEVEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS and Marnie McLaughlan hadn’t finished her shopping, but that was the least of her worries. She eased open the back door of the salon. The only sounds were the comforting hum of the refrigerator in the staff room and the clacking of a keyboard in the office to her right. She waited for the familiar click telling her the door had locked behind her before she headed for the office.

      This was the day she’d wished for and worried over.

      She was about to sell her half interest in