The Texas Christmas Gift. Cathy Thacker Gillen

      

      The Gift Of Love

      A home for the holidays—that’s a pretty tall order, with Christmas only a few weeks away. But venture capitalist and single father Derek McCabe never takes no for an answer. And he’s certain that Eve Loughlin is just the Realtor to find a house for him and his young daughter.

      Derek needs more than shelter, though. Being with Eve makes him aware of all he’s missing: love, companionship and a beautiful woman to share his life. Eve is all business, but there’s no denying the attraction that keeps bringing them together long after the contract is signed. Derek knows just what he wants. Can he get past that cool exterior and make her his own Christmas Eve?

      Eve stiffened, unsure just how close to him she was ready to be.

      “Okay,” she said with another shrug and a lift of her chin. “Then tell me about you.”

      His blue eyes warming affectionately, he easily rose to her challenge. “I think Christmas is a magical time of year.”

      “Because?” Eve prodded.

      “The holiday opens up people’s hearts and brings them together in ways they often aren’t the rest of the year.” Derek paused and gave her another long, telling look. “Christmas makes all things seem possible.”

      It was certainly making this seem possible, Eve thought, aware she barely knew him and already she felt as if they were a couple. Eve studied him right back. “You really are romantic, deep down.”

      To her satisfaction, he did not even try to deny it.

      “What does Christmas mean to you?” he continued.

      He’d been remarkably honest. Eve knew she should be, too. Struggling to put her feelings into words, she raked her teeth across her lower lip. “I think it’s great if you have a big happy family, like you apparently do.”

      Once again, he seemed to intuit all she wasn’t saying. “But otherwise?” Derek tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

      Eve appreciated the tender feeling of his fingers against her skin. “It can be—it has been—the loneliest time of the year for me.”

      Derek smiled and dropped his hand. “Then it’s time that changed.”

      Dear Reader,

      The holidays are an emotional time of year. For some of us, deeply so. Eve Loughlin has never experienced the true joy of Christmas. She has accepted that for her, and her family, this is just the way it is. Yet she still feels a pang when December rolls around and she sees the giddy excitement of those around her.

      Derek McCabe grew up with all the advantages. For him, Christmas was a time when family abounded and dreams came true. Yet now, as a divorced dad, he worries he will not be able to provide his baby girl with the same happiness he experienced.

      Eve is ready to help Derek find the perfect home in which to raise his daughter. She doesn’t expect, however, in this season of miracles, to find such bliss of her own. And when she does, she can’t help but wonder if such unexpected happiness will last.

      I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. For more information on this and other titles, please visit me on Facebook and at www.cathygillenthacker.com.

      Happy holidays,

      Cathy Gillen Thacker

      The Texas Christmas Gift

      Cathy Gillen Thacker

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Cathy Gillen Thacker is married and a mother of three. She and her husband spent eighteen years in Texas and now reside in North Carolina. Her mysteries, romantic comedies and heartwarming family stories have made numerous appearances on bestseller lists, but her best reward, she says, is knowing one of her books made someone’s day a little brighter. A popular Mills & Boon author for many years, she loves telling passionate stories with happy endings, and thinks nothing beats a good romance and a hot cup of tea! You can visit Cathy’s website at www.cathygillenthacker.com for more information on her upcoming and previously published books, recipes and a list of her favorite things.

      This book is dedicated to Grant James Thacker,

      the best little brother two sisters could ever have.

      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

       Epilogue

       Excerpt

      Chapter One

      “Derek McCabe is still on the phone?” the office manager asked.

      In her private office, no less. Doing her best to curtail her irritation, Eve Loughlin smiled. “Yep.”

      Sasha handed her a beautiful red poinsettia from a grateful client. “Well, at least he’s easy on the eyes.”

      Worse, Eve thought, hazarding a glance through the glass door, the amazingly successful venture capitalist had to know it. With his dark brown hair, ruggedly chiseled face and mesmerizing blue eyes, he was handsome enough to stop traffic. His broad-shouldered, six-foot-three-inch frame, currently garbed in an elegant, dark gray suit, made him even more of a catch. If she’d been looking. She wasn’t.

      Luckily, at that moment his call ended.

      Taking a deep, calming breath, Eve squared her shoulders and walked back into her office.

      “Sorry about that,” Derek said. “I’m investing in a technology company. There were some last-minute details to work out.”

      “I understand,” Eve replied. Even though she didn’t. Why did Loughlin Realty’s well-heeled clients think their time was somehow more valuable than the agents they employed to buy and sell their houses?

      She set the