Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe by Lena Goldfinch

Christmas Is In The Air

What's a wife to do when her Christmas plans fall apart?

Join Becky and Isaac from The Unexpected Bride in a romantic short story complete with sleigh bells, mistletoe, and sweet holiday surprises.

It's Christmas Eve, and smoke isn't just rising from the chimney—it's pouring from the stove due to yet another batch of burnt biscuits. Becky wants everything to be perfect for her family, but a ruined meal spells disaster for all her high hopes. Will the night end in despair...or with a happy Christmas dream?

"With unexpectedly fresh characters and twists, the imagination is kept on its toes, even while feeling entirely comfortable with the familiarity of the mail-order bride storyline... a great curl-up-on-a-cold-night read, so go grab a copy for yourself!" USA TODAY HEA (on THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE)

Excerpt (exclusive excerpt just for you! ):

Little Jake smiled sleepily and plopped sideways on the mattress. He immediately stuck his thumb in his mouth. His eyelids drooped. Levi fell beside him—dragging the sleigh bells along with him like a noisy blanket—and propped himself against his brother’s shoulder. It was a little too early for sleep, Becky knew, and the smallest thing could set them off running any second, but they looked so at home there. So peaceful. And, at least for this one blissful moment, quiet.

“Momma?” Jake plucked his thumb out of his mouth halfway, so he could speak. His eyes were trained on the ceiling above her head. “What’s that?”

“Mistletoe!” Levi cried, pushing off his brother and leaping to his feet. He jumped up and down on the mattress, the sleigh bells jangling madly in his hands. His brother immediately scrambled up and started jumping up and down too.

She looked up and saw what looked to be a cluster of holly above her head. “Mistletoe? What do you know about mistletoe?”

“Kiss her, Daddy! Kiss her!” the boys cried, punctuating each word with a jump.

“I think that’s holly,” she protested teasingly. Isaac had so obviously nailed the greenery to the ceiling and directed her to this very spot.

“That is not holly,” Isaac said, looking up and considering his handiwork with satisfaction. “That is mistletoe. I know my foliage, woman,” he added with mock affront.

“I’m sure you do.” She laughed again, looking up into the face of her favorite logger. Isaac knew every tree, leaf, and branch on this stretch of mountain they called home.

“Mistletoe!” a cry came up from one of the boys—she wasn’t sure which, since they were still jumping and trading places often. “Kiss her! Kiss Momma!”

“As good an excuse as any…” Isaac said cheerfully and kissed her softly on the lips.

She smiled and began to pull away, ready to thank him and the boys for their thoughtful gifts and to tell them how pleased and overwhelmed she was. Then she ceased to think altogether, because Isaac tugged her close and was kissing her again—quite thoroughly considering the boys were such a short distance away. He kissed her so thoroughly she had to gasp for breath once he pulled away.

“Oh my,” she breathed, her voice barely audible.

“Now that’s what a man wants to hear after he kisses his wife,” Isaac whispered in her ear, nuzzling her again and making her squeal with laughter until her sides ached. She pressed a hand to her ribs.

“Isaac.”

“Do it again, Daddy!” Levi and Jakob cried in unison. They nudged each other, laughing helplessly until they fell off the bed and collapsed in a heap on the floor. The fall didn’t seem to bother them in the least. “Do it again!” they yelled again, giggling.

“Oh, I plan to,” Isaac said, giving Becky a look of promise that made her go quite weak in the knees.

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Bio:

LENA GOLDFINCH is the Amazon-bestselling author of sweet historical western romance / inspirational romance and books for teens. She's always been a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it's a novel or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests.