Jingle Bell Blessings. Bonnie Winn K.

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      Jimmy’s face was radiant as he stood onstage in the Christmas play, and said, “Do you see the star?”

      A surge of love overwhelmed Evan. He hadn’t thought he had that much love left in him after he’d lost his wife and son. But his heart told him there was room for Jimmy.

      Evan made his way to where he had seen Chloe sitting. Jimmy ran from the stage straight to her. She knelt, giving him a huge hug. Getting closer, he could hear her praising his performance. “You were the very best one!”

      He bounced on his sneakers. “Really?”

      “Really!” She hugged him again. “The very, very, very best.”

      Jimmy hugged her back hard before finally letting go.

      “You haven’t told me what you want for Christmas yet, big guy.”

      “A family.”

      She leaned her head against his. “Me, too.”

      Evan was struck by their words. The star on the stage twinkled, beaconing its message of hope. And he wondered if he dared believe.

      BONNIE K. WINN

      is a hopeless romantic who has written incessantly since the third grade. So it seems only natural that she turned to romance writing. A seasoned author of historical and contemporary romance, Bonnie has won numerous awards for her bestselling books. Affaire de Coeur chose her as one of the Top Ten Romance Writers in America.

      Bonnie loves writing contemporary romance because she can set her stories in the modern cities close to her heart and explore the endlessly fascinating strengths of today’s women.

      Living in the foothills of the Rockies gives her plenty of inspiration and a touch of whimsy, as well. She shares her life with her husband, son and a spunky Norwich terrier who lends his characteristics to many pets in her stories. Bonnie’s keeping mum about anyone else’s characteristics she may have borrowed.

      Jingle Bell Blessings

      Bonnie K. Winn

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.

      —Psalms 127:3

      For our beautiful Liberty Winn

      Born April 18, 2010

      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

      Epilogue

      Letter to Reader

      Questions for Discussion

      Chapter One

      Chloe Reed gripped little Jimmy’s hand as much to stop her own shaking as to reassure him. Everything was on the line. The boy’s future, her own. Swallowing, she tentatively raised the brass knocker on the massive front door.

      Silence.

      She bent down to encourage Jimmy, and whispered, “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

      The door whipped open suddenly and she nearly teetered. Unnerved, she looked up, way up, to meet a dark pair of unpleased eyes. Set in a rugged face with a determined chin, his eyes swept over her in uncompromising dismissal.

      Awkwardly, Chloe straightened up, expecting to meet him face-to-face, but he was tall, unusually tall. “Um…hello.”

      “Yes?”

      “I’m here to see Evan Mitchell.”

      “You’re looking at him.”

      “Oh.” She’d held a wild hope that she’d knocked on the wrong door. Despite her boss’s warnings, she had wanted to believe that Evan Mitchell would be approachable, reasonable.

      “I’m Chloe Reed.” Wishing she could shield the little boy, she squeezed his hand again. “And this is Jimmy Mitchell.”

      Eyebrows as dark as the man’s thick hair swooped downward. “What are you doing here?”

      Wanting to protect the seven-year-old, Chloe beseeched the man with a pleading glance.

      Relenting, Evan opened the door wider. “Come in.”

      She and Jimmy both stared as they walked into the circular, two-story-high entry hall, their steps echoing on the marble floor of the impressive house.

      Evan hadn’t expected his late cousin’s son to appear on his doorstop, but he didn’t want to hurt the boy. Raising his voice, he called for the housekeeper. “Thelma! Can you come out here?”

      Wiping her hands on a cheery gingham apron, a pert woman in her sixties dashed into the hall. “What is it? I’m in the middle of pie making and…” Her voice trailed off when she saw Chloe and the boy, her face easing into a smile. “Who do we have here?”

      “Spencer’s boy,” Evan replied briefly.

      Thelma’s eyes widened, then warmed in understanding as she spoke to Jimmy. “Do you like apple pie?”

      Uncertain in his new surroundings, Jimmy looked at her warily, taking a step backward, leaning against Chloe.

      Thelma walked toward him, extending her hand. “I’ve got lemon meringue, pumpkin, cherry and banana cream, too. I sure could use a taster.”

      Jimmy looked up at Chloe, who nodded. Accepting Thelma’s hand, the pair disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

      Evan wished he could whisk the woman away as easily, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. Instead he gestured toward the parlor, observing the swing of her long, wavy, caramel-colored hair as she walked. Once in the room, she turned, her large green eyes questioning.

      “Have a seat.”

      As she did, he wondered what his late cousin’s attorney was up to now. Sending a pretty woman was novel, even for Holden Wainwright.

      “Miss…?”

      “Reed,” she supplied nervously. “Chloe. Call me Chloe, please. I work for Holden Wainwright. I’m his…that is, I’m the estate representative for Jimmy’s parents.”

      He’d guessed as much. “What are you doing here?”

      “Mr. Wainwright wants what’s best for Jimmy. Your cousin and his wife didn’t have any immediate family who could take care of him. And Mr. Wainwright himself is an old bachelor—he doesn’t have a clue about raising a young boy. That leaves you.”

      “Wainwright knows how I feel about that.”

      Her face filled with distress, darkening her already unusual eyes, pulling down the edges of her full lips. “He does?”

      “Oh, come now, Miss Reed—”

      “Chloe,” she corrected, staring at him in shock.

      “Miss Reed, we aren’t going to get to know each other