Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage
‘The perfect Christmas read to touch the heart’ Bestselling author Christie BarlowThe countdown to Christmas is usually a magical time, but Elena James is fed up with living on a building site! The renovations on her beautiful cottage – like her heart – have been frozen in limbo ever since she was unexpectedly widowed.Elana calls in a professional, Luke Stevenson, to help finish the cottage, so her little girl can send letters to Santa up the newly-repaired chimney. Luke’s kind, capable and sexy – but he’s also ten years younger than Elana. So why has her heart decided it’s finally time for a thaw?The perfect read to curl up by the fire with … for fans of Rebecca Boxall.
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Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage
LINN B. HALTON
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers
HarperImpulse an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
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London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2017
Copyright © Linn B Halton 2017
Cover images © Shutterstock.com
Cover design © Books Covered 2017
Linn B. Halton asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authorâs imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008261290
Ebook Edition © October 2017 ISBN:9780008261306
Version: 2017-07-19
Table of Contents
My Christmases have been, for the most part, wonderful times creating memories I will always cherish and for which I am so very grateful.
But, as is true for lots of people, there have been occasions when my heart has been heavy. When you lose a loved one itâs a bitter-sweet time, but as a new generation starts to fill the empty seats around the table, you know you are truly blessed.
Seeing Christmas once more through the eyes of the children around you isnât just special, itâs magical and the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.
So Iâm dedicating Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage to Billy, Lily, Joe and Maddie.
The Christmas table is growing and even though Mum and Dad canât take their seats, their presence is keenly felt.
Merry Christmas to everyone and hugs to those whose Christmas this year will be tinged with sadness. Remember that love never dies because we carry it with us in our hearts, always.
Linn x
âDaddy, youâve been gone a while. I was worried you wouldnât make it back in time for Christmas!â
Mayaâs sweet little voice rose up in the darkness, reflecting a real sense of relief, closely followed by the love and joy bubbling up inside of her.
âI know, Princess, itâs complicated. Some journeys take longer than others. Have you been a good girl?â
âYes, Daddy. Well, mostly. Itâs still dark outside, is it snowing?â
âNo, no snow today.â Maya wriggled down the bed, snuggling in as Niall tugged the duvet a little higher, tucking it in around her.
âItâs still early, baby, you need to go back to sleep now.â
âWill you stay with me?â Her voice was a whisper, sleep beginning to wrap itself around her once more. âYou wonât go away?â
âIâll be here when you need me, Maya. Daddyâs always here.â
Niall lay down next to his daughter and within seconds her breathing settled into a slow, rhythmic pattern.
âIâve missed you, baby, and Iâm sorry.â His words seemed to echo around the room, even though his voice was barely audible. In his head all he could hear was the haunting strains of Mayaâs favourite Christmas song by the infamous Wizzard. The words seemed to overtake his thoughts as he began to relax. When the snowman brings the snowâ
Itâs not that Iâm a Christmas grouch, or anything, but this back-to-back festive cheer with the first of December still a week away is beginning to grate just the teensiest bit. Admittedly, a few of the oldies do get my foot tapping, but the last thing I need until I meet this deadline is to be distracted. The clock is ticking and that awful, cold-sweat panic is beginning to set in. There are bills to be paid and having to do Christmas on a tight budget is yet another pressure.
