A Perfect Christmas Wish Read online

  “Me to feel obligated to pay for it, right?” He gathered her close and said, “You know, if we’re going to make this marriage work, know I’m all in. This is a partnership. You and Abby will be my family. Everything I have is yours.”

  “Everything I have is yours, too,” she told him, loving flowing through her. “I love you so much.”

  He grinned. “Good, because I have one more surprise for everyone.” He walked over to where Dave stood. “I want to thank the mayor for helping me pull together a last-minute surprise.”

  With a great deal of flourish, Dave pulled a cord and open a banner on the side of the empty store building that abutted the parking lot. The banner read Keith J. Owens Community Center.

  “I want to thank Za—I mean Santa Claus for buying the building and donating it to the city. I know Keith would be proud. The city can really use this center. We have great plans for the future.”

  The tears Suzannah had been holding in started to flow as she turned and looked at Zach. His gift was amazing. It meant so much to her, and Abby, and Edith, not to mention the entire town. “I can’t believe you did this,” she said.

  “I’ve wanted to do something for a long time, and this just seems right. Keith was my best friend, and it’s important to me that he’s remembered. I figure since Edith is doing her part to keep his memory alive, now was a good time for me to do my part,” he said.

  Overcome with love, Suzannah hugged him close, which was a little difficult to do in their padded costumes. Still, she managed it. “You are such a wonderful man, and I love you very much.”

  “You are such a wonderful woman, and I love you very much,” he teased back, then added softly. “Let’s just hope you still love me once I’m no longer soft and squishy and don’t have a full white beard. For all I know, you only love me because you think I’m Santa Claus.”

  She pretended to consider what he said. “I do love Santa Claus, but I also love the man he truly is. I will always love you,” she assured him, leaning forward and kissing him.

  The crowd cheered as Santa kissed Mrs. Claus back. He dipped her a little at the end of the kiss, causing an even bigger round of applause.

  After a moment, Suzannah realized they had one special witness. She broke off the kiss and saw her daughter was standing next to them.

  “So, Mom, it looks like my Christmas wish will come true,” Abby said, beaming.

  “It looks that way,” Suzannah said. “Definitely looks that way.”

  Abby turned and hollered at her friend Stephie. “Hey, Stephie. My Christmas wish came true! I bet next year’s Christmas wish will come true as well.”

  Puzzled, Suzannah looked at Zach, who shrugged and said, “I have no idea. She only told me about this year’s wish.”

  Although she was a little afraid to ask, curiosity finally got the best of her. “What is your Christmas wish for next year?”

  The smirk on Abby’s face was pure mischief. “I’m going to ask for a baby sister or brother!”

  Suzannah laughed and admitted, “Well, you never know. This is Kringle. It’s a magical place, so that Christmas wish might come true as well.”

  * * *

  Dear Reader,

  Readers are an author’s life blood and the stories couldn’t happen without you. Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed A Perfect Christmas Wish, I would so appreciate a review. You have no idea how much it means! Thank you, thank you.

  Please turn the page for an excerpt of the next book in the series, A Perfect Christmas Surprise featuring Caleb and Ava’s romance.

  If you’d like to keep up with my latest releases, you can sign up for my newsletter @ https://loriwilde.com/subscribe/

  To check out my other books, you can visit me on the web @ www.loriwilde.com.

  Much love and light!

  —Lori

  Excerpt: A Perfect Christmas Surprise

  Caleb Sutton walked into the vet clinic, intent on picking up a couple of dogs for his next-door neighbors, Marjorie and Ted Miller who ran Kringle Kritters Rescue adjacent to his place, the Leaping Longhorn Ranch.

  The Millers had dropped the animals off that morning for their vaccinations. Ted had a doctor’s appointment in Fort Worth and they’d asked Caleb if he’d mind bringing the dogs back to the rescue after they’d received their shots.

  Of course he hadn’t mind. This was Kringle, Texas where people looked out for each other, but glancing around at the chaotic scene, Caleb had a powerful urge to skedaddle.

  Dogs barked. Cats meowed. A parrot kept squawking out “Merry Christmas!” Kids chased each other around while holiday carols blared. Wall to wall animals packed the facility, all controlled by their owners with varying degrees of success.

  Dang, but he disliked surprises. Why hadn’t the Millers warned him something was afoot at the clinic?

  After a nomadic childhood as a military brat, his father’s career moving them from pillar to post with dizzying frequency, he’d come to crave security, serenity and stability. Pandemonium threw him for a loop, and it was all he could do not to bolt for the door.

  What in the blue blazes was going on around here?

  At the back of the room stood a good friend of his, another local rancher Zach Delaney, who was dressed as Santa, fake beard and all.

  Zach waved jovially. “Hey, there, Caleb, welcome to the madhouse. Ho, ho, ho!”

  Yikes. His friend was such a good sport. You wouldn’t catch Caleb wearing a Santa getup. No way, no how, no siree.

  Caleb strolled farther into the clinic, his eyes widening to take in the full scope of the hubbub. “What’s all this?”

  “Pictures with Santa,” called a cheery feminine voice behind him.

  Caleb froze.

  The pulse at his throat ticked hot and fast. He didn’t have to turn around to know who’d spoken. He’d once been engaged to that voice and she’d turned his life upside down.

  “Could you please scooch over a bit, cowboy? You’re blocking the shot.”

  Caleb swiveled to see Ted and Marjorie’s daughter, Ava Miller standing behind a camera tripod dressed in a crazy candy cane costume and bestowing upon him her patented, sunshine-infused smile.

  Once upon a time, that brilliant, unwavering smile had been his kryptonite. Once up on time? The way his pulse pounding hard against his veins it still was.

  About the Author

  Lori Wilde is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 90 works of romantic fiction. She’s a three time Romance Writers’ of America RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Readers’ Choice Award. She has won numerous other awards as well.

  Her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide.

  Her breakout novel, The First Love Cookie Club, has been optioned for a TV movie.

  Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University. She holds a certificate in forensics, and is also a certified yoga instructor.

  A fifth generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World; where they run Epiphany Orchards, a writing/creativity retreat for the care and enrichment of the artistic soul.

  Also by Lori Wilde

  KRINGLE, TEXAS SERIES

  A Perfect Christmas Gift

  A Perfect Christmas Wish

  A Perfect Christmas Surprise

  TEXAS RASCALS SERIES

  Keegan

  Matt

  Nick

  Kurt

  Tucker

  Kael

  Truman

  Dan

  Rex

  Clay

  Jonah

  Copyright © 2019 by Lori Wilde

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of bri
ef quotations in a book review.

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