Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
He quickly turned and left, closing the door behind him. I don’t know how long I sat there in a state of shock. I was mostly pissed that my grandfather was getting the last word on an argument that made me leave Mistletoe in the first place.
I growled in frustration as I ripped open the envelope to read what his last words were to me. As soon as I saw the four sentences in big, black, bold font, I scoffed in disagreement and threw the paper in the middle of my desk.
There it lay, mocking me…
All I want for Christmas is for my grandson to finally come home.
It’s time, Nicholas.
Mistletoe Town is yours now, don’t disappoint me. It’s what your grandmother wants.
“Fuck… of course he’d pull that card,” I rasped to myself, pressing the intercom button for my secretary, Sarah, down the hall. “I will need you to clear the rest of my week.”
“Mr. Saint Clair, you have—”
“I know.”
She hesitated for a second as if she knew where I was going with this. I never canceled work. Come rain or shine, I always met my commitments. I was a workaholic, and I preferred it that way. Honestly, staying busy kept me sane. Like my grandfather constantly reminded me, “A body in motion stays in motion.” That was my regime.
Sarah questioned, “What do I tell them?”
Leaning my head back against the leather chair, I stared up at the ceiling. “I have an unexpected family emergency.”
She lightly gasped. “Does that mean—”
“Yeah…” I deeply sighed.
“I’m going back to hell.”
CHAPTER 1
NOELLE
The first time I met Nicholas Saint Clair, I was fourteen years old, and he was fifteen. After years of living overseas with my dad while he was on active duty in the military, he was finally able to retire, and we moved to Mistletoe Town, where all your Christmas dreams come true.
My mom passed away when I was six, and I couldn’t wait to move to a place where I’d suddenly feel her presence everywhere I went. My mom grew up in this town and dreamed of moving us there once my dad retired. Even after her unexpected death, my father followed through with their plan.
At first, I thought it would be an issue for him, but I think it helped heal him. Now he spent most of his time traveling, but something about this town just brought out the best in people. From the moment I stepped off the airplane, I fell in love with everything about Mistletoe Town.
Everything, and I do mean everything, about this Hallmark place was magical.
From the pristine landscaping everywhere you went to the perfectly designed neighborhoods and businesses that just screamed Christmas all year round, it was incredible. The charming aesthetic was right out of a holiday postcard or Hallmark movie. Tourists traveled from all over the world to experience the nostalgia that only this town could bring. It was contagious, even warming the coldest hearts.
Or so I thought…
The town truly was a sight to see, so to be able to actually call it home wasn’t something I ever took for granted. The picturesque location had all four seasons every year. I personally was a fan of winter only because I loved Christmas with all my heart and soul.
I know that sounded corny, trust me. However, I didn’t care. Christmas was a part of my identity, like my mom’s. I took pride in carrying on her traditions from year to year and helping others create their own. From a young age, I had a passion for baking. I think it had something to do with the Woods genes and our sweet tooth.
I turned that hobby into a career, and I’d been the town baker for the past nine years. I started from the bottom and worked my way up. My dream was to eventually own this shop one day, but in the meantime, I treated it as if it were already mine. I took my job very seriously. Making memories with families year after year was one of my favorite things about my career.
Nothing was better than seeing a kid’s face light up with the beauty and magic of this town. I loved every second of it. I guess you could say I was Mrs. Claus, and Mistletoe Town was The North Pole. Everyone knew each other, which meant there wasn’t much for a personal life, but you could easily forget that once you experienced the true joy of Christmas like everyone should at least once in their lives.
Out of all the historic sites, my favorite was the library in the middle of the town square that housed all the greatest literary classics. I’d always been a book nerd. It was hard to make friends when we constantly moved, and I found companionship in the stories I read. To see four floors filled with novels by some of the greatest writers in history was a memory I’d never forget. I hung out there often, and that hadn’t changed in the past fourteen years.