A Season to Celebrate Read online

  Books by Fern Michaels

  Fate & Fortune

  Sweet Vengeance

  Holly and Ivy

  Fancy Dancer

  No Safe Secret

  Wishes for Christmas

  About Face

  Perfect Match

  A Family Affair

  Forget Me Not

  The Blossom Sisters

  Balancing Act

  Tuesday’s Child

  Betrayal

  Southern Comfort

  To Taste the Wine

  Sins of the Flesh

  Sins of Omission

  Return to Sender

  Mr. and Miss Anonymous

  Up Close and Personal

  Fool Me Once

  Picture Perfect

  The Future Scrolls

  Kentucky Sunrise

  Kentucky Heat

  Kentucky Rich

  Plain Jane

  Charming Lily

  What You Wish For

  The Guest List

  Listen to Your Heart

  Celebration

  Yesterday

  Finders Keepers

  Annie’s Rainbow

  Sara’s Song

  Vegas Sunrise

  Vegas Heat

  Vegas Rich

  Whitefire

  Wish List

  Dear Emily

  Christmas at Timberwoods

  The Sisterhood Novels

  Safe and Sound

  Need to Know

  Crash and Burn

  Point Blank

  In Plain Sight

  Eyes Only

  Kiss and Tell

  Blindsided

  Gotcha!

  Home Free

  Déjà Vu

  Cross Roads

  Game Over

  Deadly Deals

  Vanishing Act

  Razor Sharp

  Under the Radar

  Final Justice

  Collateral Damage

  Fast Track

  Hokus Pokus

  Hide and Seek

  Free Fall

  Lethal Justice

  Sweet Revenge

  The Jury

  Vendetta

  Payback

  Weekend Warriors

  The Men of the Sisterhood Novels

  Truth or Dare

  High Stakes

  Fast and Loose

  Double Down

  The Godmothers Series

  Getaway (e-novella exclusive)

  Spirited Away (e-novella exclusive)

  Hideaway (e-novella exclusive)

  Classified

  Breaking News

  Deadline

  Late Edition

  Exclusive

  The Scoop

  eBook Exclusives

  Desperate Measures

  Seasons of Her Life

  To Have and to Hold

  Serendipity

  Captive Innocence

  Captive Embraces

  Captive Passions

  Captive Secrets

  Captive Splendors

  Cinders to Satin

  For All Their Lives

  Texas Heat

  Texas Rich

  Texas Fury

  Texas Sunrise

  Anthologies

  A Season to Celebrate

  Mistletoe Magic

  Winter Wishes

  The Most Wonderful Time

  When the Snow Falls

  Secret Santa

  A Winter Wonderland

  Making Spirits Bright

  Holiday Magic

  Snow Angels

  Silver Bells

  Comfort and Joy

  Sugar and Spice

  Let It Snow

  A Gift of Joy

  Five Golden Rings

  Deck the Halls

  Jingle All the Way

  Books by Kate Pearce

  The House of Pleasure Series

  Simply Sexual

  Simply Sinful

  Simply Shameless

  Simply Wicked

  Simply Insatiable

  Simply Forbidden

  Simply Carnal

  Simply Voracious

  Simply Scandalous

  Simply Pleasure (e-novella)

  Simply Irresistible (e-novella)

  The Sinners Club Series

  The Sinners Club

  Tempting a Sinner

  Mastering a Sinner

  The First Sinners (e-novella)

  Single Titles

  Raw Desire

  The Morgan Brothers Ranch

  The Reluctant Cowboy

  The Maverick Cowboy

  The Last Good Cowboy

  The Bad Boy Cowboy

  The Billionaire Bull Rider

  The Rancher

  Anthologies

  Some Like It Rough

  Lords of Passion

  Happy Is the Bride

  A Season to Celebrate

  Books by Bestselling Author

  Donna Kauffman

  The Blue Hollow Falls Series

  Blue Hollow Falls

  The Inn at Blue Hollow Falls

  (eBook novella)

  The Brides of Blueberry Cove

  Series

  Sea Glass Sunrise

  Snowflake Bay

  Starfish Moon

  The Bachelors of Blueberry Cove

  Series

  Pelican Point

  Half Moon Harbor

  Sandpiper Island

  The Cupcake Club Series

  Sugar Rush

  Sweet Stuff

  Babycakes

  Honey Pie

  The Hot Scot Trilogy

  Some Like It Scot

  Off Kilter

  “Santa in a Kilt” in Unwrapped

  The Hamilton Series

  “Unleashed” in To All a Good Night

  “Lock, Stock & Jingle Bells” in

  Kissing Santa Claus

  “Naughty & Nice” in

  The Naughty List

  The Unholy Trinity Series

  The Black Sheep & the Princess

  The Black Sheep & the Hidden Beauty

  The Black Sheep & the English Rose

  The Chisholm Brothers Series

  Bad Boys in Kilts

  The Great Scot

  The Men of Rogues Hollow Series

  “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in

  Jingle Bell Rock

  “Exposed” in Bad Boys Next Exit

  Catch Me If You Can

  “Making Waves” in

  Merry Christmas, Baby

  Standalone Titles

  The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart

  Swap

  Here Comes Trouble

  A Great Kisser

  Let Me In

  Bad Boys on Board

  I Love Bad Boys

  The Matched to Perfection Series

  by Priscilla Oliveras

  His Perfect Partner

  Her Perfect Affair

  Their Perfect Melody

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

  A Season To Celebrate

  FERN MICHAELS

  KATE PEARCE

  DONNA KAUFFMAN

  PRISCILLA OLIVERAS

  ZEBRA BOOKS

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Compilation copyright © 2018 by Kensington Publishing Corporation A Christmas Homecoming © cop
yright 2018 by Fern Michaels An Unexpected Gift © copyright 2018 by Kate Pearce Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls © copyright 2018 by Donna Kauffman Holiday Home Run © copyright 2018 by Priscilla Oliveras

  Fern Michaels is a registered trademark of KAP 5, Inc.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4201-3574-9

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3575-6

  eISBN-10: 1-4201-3575-9

  Table of Contents

  Also by

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  A Christmas Homecoming

  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

  An Unexpected Gift

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Epilogue

  Holiday Home Run

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Feliz Navidad —Merry Christmas Wishes to You!

  HOLLY AND IVY

  THE RANCHER

  BLUESTONE & VINE

  THEIR PERFECT MELODY

  A Christmas Homecoming

  FERN MICHAELS

  Chapter One

  Kevin Matthews watched from his window seat as the tarmac faded from view. He was finally heading home to Texas after three tours in the military. Home for the holidays. The first time in six years.

  At thirty-two, he was going to start his life all over again. Yes, again . . . for the second time. Third if you were counting his birth. He had accumulated a lot of experience in the past several years, and his appreciation and vitality for living had been renewed.

  Kevin was twenty-six when he joined the Air Force. A Special Forces group known as Pararescues—“PJs” for short. His proficiency at skydiving and scuba, hobbies from his high school days, had made him a much sought after airman. Throw in six years as an EMS volunteer, and he was the perfect candidate to join the group. And it was the perfect group for him to join.

  He needed a serious change of scenery, and the French Foreign Legion was no longer an option. Did people really do that years ago? Join the Foreign Legion? He wondered. But being a Texan, it was hard to imagine joining any international organization that wasn’t homegrown American, even if Texas would make noise about seceding from the Union every couple of years. He thought the new term “Texit” was hilarious. Nope. He was going to serve his country, the USA, and the PJs’ slogan, “Relief from Above,” was something he could easily adopt, especially since he was in need of relief as well.

  Running his fingers through his full, black, wavy hair—a habit he had had since he was a kid—he hoped he could endure the next ten hours on the plane to Dallas. Sitting in one position for any length of time could get uncomfortable.

  He considered asking the fellow in the aisle seat to switch with him, but the guy had his head buried in what looked like an Avengers comic book and simply grunted when Kevin approached the row. He didn’t even make a move to allow Kevin easy access. When Kevin squeezed past him, the guy gave another annoying grunt. It was obvious he wasn’t going to be very cooperative. As Kevin folded his six-foot-two-inch, lean, muscular body into the seat, he resigned himself to discomfort until he absolutely needed to move around.

  Two years back, during a precision air-drop exercise, some of the supplies had plunged from the cargo plane too soon, and he had to jump to retrieve them. His chute got caught in a bizarre tangle that sent him spinning perilously to the ground. Fortunately, he was able to come out of free fall and managed to land safely but not well. Two operations later and he had his mobility back, though he still had a slight limp. No, sir. Rigorous activities were no longer an option. If he ever took a bad fall, the titanium that held his femur together would stay intact, but it would also cause the shattering of what remained of his own bone structure. Nope. Horseback riding wasn’t on the menu, and neither was skydiving anymore—maybe scuba diving if he ever got back to Lake Travis. Hiking, fishing, and riding a bike would be his limit. He’d have to avoid anything that would threaten his Humpty-Dumpty leg.

  He sighed and smiled at the same time. It was worth it , he told himself. The faces on the refugees as they clamored for the lifesaving supplies were more than a “thank-you,” and the rescues from the earthquake in Japan that he participated in were experiences he could never have imagined. Knowing he actually made a difference in people’s lives—total strangers, in fact—gave him a sense of satisfaction that nothing else on this earth could replicate.

  The broken bones eventually healed. But the greatest recovery was his heart. It had been broken—devastated. Now he was whole, with the additional help of some titanium and screws, and an experience that gave new meaning to life and the little things in it.

  Yes, he was thankful for it. He was still alive and heading home to his mom’s skillet corn bread. During the flight attendant’s safety speech, Kevin thought back to the circumstances that had brought him on this journey: the hobbies that would scare the bejesus out of his mother, and the breakup with Melissa. Funny thing about it—he was grateful. Grateful for the breakup, but at the time, he couldn’t imagine what his future life would be like.

  They had been high-school sweethearts. Getting married, having a family, and—one day—opening a sporting goods shop were the only things he envisioned. Yes, he was going to thank Melissa when he saw her, because running into her was inevitable. Cedar Park was a small town: the very reason he started his life all over for the second time, counting his birth. Now here he was again, starting fresh. This time, though, he had a much better attitude.

  Kevin squirmed in his seat as he imagined what his homecoming would be like. Mom would have the house decorated, as in everything. There was not one tabletop, chair, or dresser that didn’t have some kind of Christmas ornament. Even the vanity in the bathroom had elves doling out toilet paper. When he was in his teens, he thought it was totally corny. Almost embarrassing. Now it would be a sight for sore eyes, and he’d be thrilled to assemble the hundreds of pieces that were transformed into a Christmas village, surrounded by the miniature trains that would run around the entire perimeter of the living room. As soon as Mrs. Matthews gave it the seal of approval, Kevin and his dad would start working on the exterior of the house,
stringing the thousands of lights collected over the years on every tree, bush, and shrub that had a branch. The giant Santa and his entire entourage would sit proudly on the front lawn. Yes, the Matthews house would rival anyone else’s attempt at decorating. “Eat your heart out, Macy’s!” would be his dad’s battle cry when he flipped the switch. The only other place that presented any challenge was the Cedar Park Christmas Tree Farm, with acres of cedars. Hence the name of the town, Cedar Park. His grandfather had started the farm just under a century ago, and his dad started managing it when Pops retired. As soon as Halloween arrived and the hayrides were over, Mrs. Matthews would be in charge of decorating everything in sight at the tree farm, and everyone would joke about being able to see Cedar Park from the International Space Station.

  * * *

  They had been airborne for over an hour, and Kevin’s leg was beginning to stiffen. He softly nudged the guy sleeping next to him. “Excuse me, sir, sorry to disturb you.” His Texas drawl let the words drop politely from his mouth.

  Suddenly, he got the attention of a very attractive young woman in a blue suit, whose name tag on her navy blue uniform said ALLISON . “Oh, sir. You’re with the military, correct? Thank you for your service!” She beamed her very best flight attendant smile.

  “My pleasure, ma’am.” Kevin was never fully aware of the effect he had on women. He had always been ruggedly handsome, with his deep blue eyes and his tanned skin from the outdoors. But he and Melissa started going steady at fifteen, so the thought of dating other girls had never been on his radar. Then, after enlisting, he had no time for anything resembling a relationship. Once in a while he would have friendly drinks with other military folks, but a love affair was by no means on the table.