Hometown Holiday Reunion

Falling for the Girl Next Door

Returning home to take care of his ailing mother, Cam Stewart reunites with his best friend’s little sister. And while Erin Kinley is still a firecracker, she’s grown from an annoying tagalong to a beautiful woman and devoted foster mom. She and Cam still drive each other crazy…until Erin turns to Cam for comfort during a stressful adoption process. Cam’s fractured family had him convinced he’d never be a dad, but suddenly he’s considering two things he never thought he would: having a family and staying in Oaks Crossing. Could Erin and her son be everything he’s longed for?

“Erin Kinley?”

Her slender frame stiffened, and she slowly spun to face him. Wearing an expression that Cam suspected mirrored his own, she rolled her hazel eyes toward the sky. “Now I know why Natalie didn’t mention the owner’s name.”

“And why she didn’t tell me who was interested. She must’ve figured neither of us would ever agree to do this if we knew who we were meeting.”

“She’s a smart girl.” Glancing around, she folded her arms in an unhappy gesture he remembered all too well. “I haven’t seen you since Drew and Bekah’s wedding. How have you been?”

Still a little porcupine with Southern-lady manners, he noted with a grin. It was nice to know some things in his hometown hadn’t changed. “Fine. And you?”

“Fine.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds, and he was struck by the realization that she was a lot prettier than the persistent tagalong he and Drew had spent so much time ditching when they were all growing up together.

MIA ROSS loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can’t imagine trading her life for anyone else’s—and she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at miaross.com.

Hometown Holiday Reunion

Mia Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

And a little child shall lead them.

—Isaiah 11:6

For “Parkers” everywhere

Acknowledgments

Grateful to the very talented folks who help me

make my books everything they can be: Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff at Love Inspired.

More thanks to the gang at Seekerville

(seekerville.net), a great place to hang out with readers—and writers.

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful network

of supportive, encouraging family and friends. You inspire me every day!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Just what he needed this morning.

Cam Stewart stood in the middle of the bustling kitchen at the Oaks Café, glowering at the commercial fridge that was making an ominous thunking noise. It had started last week, just after Christmas, as more of a loud hum punctuated by a bang every now and then. Now it was clanking with a fairly constant rhythm, and even though he wasn’t an expert on large appliances, as a construction foreman he’d been around enough faltering equipment to recognize a death knell when he heard one.

Glancing over at the dishwasher who’d come running to get him, Cam shrugged. “That’s how you know it’s Monday, right?”

Until that moment, Kyle had looked terrified, as if he feared that his job was in danger because he’d been the one to deliver bad news. The poor kid’s tight expression loosened up, and he nodded. “I guess so.”

In all honesty, Cam wasn’t surprised by this latest in a seemingly endless parade of troubles. When he’d returned to Oaks Crossing in the fall to help out with the family business, he’d found the books and the property in a shambles, on the brink of failing altogether. His plans for sticking around for just a few weeks to rehab the building for sale had gone on an indefinite hold. No matter how good the shell looked, no one in their right mind would buy a restaurant that was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Putting that gloomy thought out of his mind, he focused on what he could control. “All right, Kyle, let’s shut down this beast before something completely lets go in there. I’ll call over to the appliance repair shop and see if they can send someone out today. For now, let’s shift everything into the fridge over in the snack bar.” A scary thought occurred to him, and he said, “Please tell me the walk-in freezer is still working.”

“Last time I checked it was okay.”

The hedging answer made Cam laugh, mostly because as much as he wanted to throw a fit, that wouldn’t get any of their equipment fixed. That, and he was just too tired from a long string of sixteen-hour days to summon the energy. “Let’s hope it stays that way. Grab one of the busboys to give you a hand.”