âIs something wrong?â
âEverythingâs fine. Thatâll be fun. The birthday, I mean. Um â¦â Sam had to know. âWhen is it?â
âDecember fifteenth.â
Sam struggled to stay calm, even though the date knocked the breath out of her. Of all the bizarre coincidences, William and her sonâboth of AJâs sonsâwere born on the same day. There was no longer any doubt that heâd been sleeping with her and Williamâs mother at the same time. Still, for his wife to have a baby on the same day she did ⦠it was crazy.
What if �
Youâre the one whoâs crazy. Thereâs no way William is your son.
Unless ⦠had AJ found out she was pregnant?
Snippets of recent events flashed through her mind. AJ had been reluctant to take them into the kitchen that first day, when Will was out in the yard. He was awkward and edgy when she and Will were in the same room together. Was it because he felt guilty for cheating on his wife? Or was it something even more underhanded?
Dear Reader,
The Christmas Secret combines all of my favorite things in one storyâa woman with an untraditional career, a single dad, a secret baby, a puppy and, of course, Christmas! The real inspiration for this book, though, was my love of home-and-garden shows on television. DIY, home decorating, real estateâI love them all! So I thought, why not combine them into one business? Ready Set Sold is that business and itâs owned by three womenâa carpenter, an interior decorator and a real-estate agent.
When Andrew âAJâ Harris hires Ready Set Sold to sell the house he inherited from his grandmother, he is unexpectedly reunited with Samantha Elliott, the only woman heâs ever loved, the woman heâs never been able to forget and the woman whose betrayal he can never forgive.
Sam has been keeping a secret and sheâs sure that if AJ ever finds out, heâll never forgive her. What she doesnât know is that AJ has a secret, too, and now that Sam is temporarily back in his life, keeping that secret from her becomes all-important, not just for his sake but for their sonâs.
I hope you enjoy Sam and AJâs journey as they discover that once all the secrets are out in the open, love and forgiveness go hand in hand. I love to hear from readers, so I also hope youâll visit me at my website, www.leemckenzie.com.
Happy holidays!
Lee McKenzie
From the time she was ten years old and read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women,LEE MCKENZIE knew she wanted to be a writer, just like Anne and Jo. In the intervening years, she has written everything from advertising copy to an honors thesis in paleontology, but becoming a four-time Golden Heart finalist and a Harlequin author are among her proudest accomplishments. Lee and her artist/teacher husband live on an island along Canadaâs west coast, and she loves to spend time with two of her best friendsâher grown-up children.
Books by Lee McKenzie
AMERICAN ROMANCE 1167âTHE MAN FOR MAGGIE 1192âWITH THIS RING 1316âFIREFIGHTER DADDY 1340âTHE WEDDING BARGAIN
Grandmother Harrisâs backyard was a perfect place for a little boy and his dog to play. AJ Harris walked out onto the deck, coffee in hand, in time to see his son romp across the lawn with their chocolate-colored Labradoodle puppy in hot pursuit, both under the watchful eye of his nanny, Annie Dobson. He left the door ajar so he could hear the doorbell when it rang and went down the steps to join them.
âTaking a break, Mr. Harris?â Annie asked. She was sitting in one of the old Adirondacks that had been in this yard for as long as he could remember, steam rising from her teacup into the cool morning air.
âThatâs one of the best things about working at home. I can take a break whenever I want.â The best part, though, was being his own boss instead of one of his fatherâs employees.
âDaddy! I playing with Hawshey!â
âI am playing with Hershey,â he said.
âSam-I-am!â His son shouted the name from his favorite book, then stopped running and flung himself on the grass, laughing and shrieking when the puppy pounced on him.
âWilliam! Donât let that creature lick your face.â Annieâs reprimand was firm but gentle. âYouâve seen what else he licks. For goodnessâ sake, think of the germs!â
AJ sat in the chair next to hers and set his cup on the arm. The boy and his dog were up and running again and the sound of Willâs laughter lightened AJâs mood in a way nothing else could.
âI appreciate you bringing them out here to play,â he said. âI would have taken them to the park like I usually do, but the real estate people will be here any minute.â
âA little fresh air never hurt an old lady like me, either, and itâs a nice day for late November.â Annie sipped her tea. âIâll miss this old place.â
So would he. His earliest and certainly happiest memories were of times spent here. He hated having to sell the house, but it was the best option. Hell, it was his only option. Grandmother Harris was gone, his only other family ties in Seattle were his parents, and they hadnât spoken to him since the day heâd brought his son home from the hospital. And for the past three years heâd felt as though he was holding his breath and hoping his past didnât catch up to him.