A Lot Like Christmas (Wishful 11)

“No. With Carolanne. But I’m expected at family dinner in a couple of hours. Since you’re actually in town…you could come meet them.”

“Meet your parents,” he repeated.

Was her badass, Delta Force boyfriend actually…nervous?

“It’ll be fine. They’re going to love you—because I do.” She hadn’t told him in all these months. She’d wanted to be able to touch him, to see him when she did.

His chestnut eyes darkened, and he reached up to cup her cheek. “I love you, too, Hannah Wheeler.”

She bowed her head, pressing her brow to his as the warmth of joy spread through her, rich and intoxicating as mulled wine.

“You said we had a couple hours before dinner?”

“Yeah.”

Plucking her out of his lap, he set her on her feet and grabbed her hand. “Then we have enough time to get back to your place so I can show you exactly how much.”

She was still laughing as he dragged her from the building.

Choose Your Next Romance!

Next up in the Wishful lineup is a delightful friends-to-lovers romance set against a class reunion. If you’ve got high school or prom trauma, you’re gonna love Dancing Away With My Heart. Plus, you’ll get to see Jace and Tara’s (Dance Me A Dream) wedding!

If you’re in the mood for more friends-to-lovers, you can check out my latest Wishful Meet Cute Romance, Once Upon A Rescue. This one features a Mississippi blizzard, an adorkable firefighter, and a boatload of dogs. And, of course, the Casserole Patrol!

Can’t make up your mind? Keep turning the pages for a sneak peek at both!

Sneak Peek Dancing Away With My Heart

Wishful Romance #12

Reunion Prom? Is this really a thing?

* * *

In Wishful it is. Lexi Morales never imagined her life would turn into the premise for an 1980s teen movie. But when her big high school trauma hit like a ton of bricks, she spent the next decade trying to hide the truth. After years of careful avoidance, she's back in town to care for her injured mother, just in time for the high school reunion she never planned to attend—a reunion that evokes memories she's tried to forget.

* * *

Wishful's friendly neighborhood photographer, Zach Warren, has no idea why he and his best friend drifted apart. But from the first, flashbulb moment he sees Lexi all grown up, she's all he can think about—and his thoughts keep straying right out of the friendzone.

* * *

Zach’s offer of temporary employment while she’s in town should be a perfect fit, but acting like she's never thought of him as more than a friend turns out to be harder than Lexi ever expected. All she wants to do is get through this with her secret—and her heart—intact. One thing's for sure: Lexi is NOT going to this prom.

* * *

But what if ten years is just the right amount of time for Zach to finally get a clue?

The light was perfect. A thin layer of clouds diffused the early evening sun, casting a warm glow over the Wishful town green. All along Main Street, flowers bloomed from carefully-tended planters and trees leafed out in a vibrant chorus of spring. People strolled or sat, enjoying the breezy, upper-sixties temperatures and soaking up sunshine on what was arguably an absolutely perfect spring day. Lexi’s shutter finger twitched, and she wished she’d grabbed her camera when she’d gotten out of the car. She wanted to linger in the golden hour, while everything seemed just a little bit magical. But she was on a mission. Still, she turned her face into the cool caress of the wind and gloried in the sweet scents of azaleas and jasmine.

“Why, Lexi Morales, is that you?”

The delighted drawl snapped Lexi out of her reverie. She blinked at the older woman, who sported a huge, shellacked helmet of hair in an I Love Lucy shade of red. Back when she’d taught tenth-grade English, she’d been known to change it as frequently as other women changed purses. There’d been a pool going on the color of the month. The winner got a whole dozen of their candybar of choice. Lexi had ended up with a lot of Snickers that year.

“Mrs. Landon.”

Mamie Landon beamed, opening her arms and automatically pulling Lexi in for a pillow-soft hug. “How are you, sugar? I didn’t realize you were back in town.”