Christmas in Twinkle Falls, page 1
Also by Freda Ann
A Bliss Cay Novella
Summer in Bliss
Her Summer Prince
Country in Bliss
An Officer and The Vet
Her Bodyguard in Bliss
A Twinkle Falls Novel
Christmas in Twinkle Falls
A Wedding in Twinkle Falls
Love in Twinkle Falls
CHRISTMAS IN TWINKLE FALLS
(2nd Edition)
Written and Published by
FREDA ANN
Edited by: Viva Sisante of Vespertine Editing
Cover Design : Green Lizard Designs
Copyright © 2023 by Freda Ann
* * *
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof in any form.
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment and is a work of fiction. All names, people, places, incidents, events are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people (living or dead), businesses, places or events is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
A Wedding in Twinkle Falls teaser…
Angelcakes Gourmet Cupcakes
Angelcakes Gourmet Cupcakes
For my readers…
More Books by Freda Ann
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1
(Sophie)
Sophie’s mouth curled at the corners as she meticulously swirled the frosting over the Chocolate Chip Elvis cupcakes. They were a town favorite, selling out most days, more often than not.
Standing in the kitchen, the scent of chocolate, peanut butter and banana had her licking her lips. She giggled knowing she loved these little bites of heaven as much as anyone else.
When Sophie leased this shell of a bakery eleven months ago in Twinkle Falls, Vermont, she turned it into Angelcakes Gourmet Cupcakes & Cafe, AGC for short. Her favorite part of the venture was the cupcakes; creating new styles and flavors was the highlight she looked forward to above all.
Pausing for a moment, her attention was drawn to the porthole style window in front of her as she heard laughter. Her eyes went to the flirty couple sitting on the loveseat in the reading nook.
Raising her right hand, Sophie grabbed the pendant hanging from the chain around her neck. She rubbed it between her fingers, remembering how happy she was the day Jamie gave it to her. It was on their wedding day.
For a reason she still hadn’t wrapped her head around, the man she pledged her existence to had been plucked from Sophie and her children’s lives almost two years ago. Sadness filled her as she watched the happy couple, reminding her of a love that was lost forever.
Sophie dropped the frosting bag on the counter as the emotions rushed through her. She scurried to the backroom, not wanting to make a scene in front of her staff. Just as the door started to close, Bridgette opened it and followed her inside.
“Hey, hey, there’s no crying allowed in the kitchen, remember?” Bridgette’s hand caressed Sophie’s back while a second tear followed the first down her right cheek.
Sniffling, Sophie glanced at her. “I didn’t mean to cry. That’s what happens when you do it so often. It becomes a habit you can’t seem to stop.”
Bridgette, or Bridge, as Sophie affectionately called her, asked, “So what set you off this time, sweetie?”
She drew a breath, wiping her cheek on her sleeve. “The end of January will be two years. Two years without my husband… two years my kids have been without a father. It still doesn’t seem real. It’s—it’s like he went to work and we’re waiting for him to come home. I could never love again, Bridge. It hurts too much.” Tears trickled down her flushed skin.
Bridge smiled sadly, and wrapped her in a warm embrace. Allowing her head to relax on Bridge’s shoulder, Sophie closed her eyes.
Fighting the tears, the same vision of a dark blue military uniform filled Sophie’s head just like it was yesterday. The moment she saw him, her jaw hung low as numbness enveloped her. She scanned the rows of medals on the man’s chest as she stood on her front porch. The crisp, white, wrinkle-free shirt and dark blue tie peeked out from under his uniform jacket. To this day she couldn’t recall a word he said.
Having been the wife of an active soldier, she knew what it meant when two people in dress blues, the same uniform her husband wore on formal occasions, showed up on your door step.
Pulling Sophie away from her, Bridge rubbed her arms. “Never is a very long time. I think when the time is right, it could happen. Now… tell me a fond memory of your time with Jamie.”
Anytime Sophie had a meltdown, her best friend made her recount a happy memory with her husband. Bridge wouldn’t leave her until they were smiling or laughing about something Jamie did. Thankfully, the tears were less frequent and only a few at a time.
Sophie dried her face on the apron and stood tall, refusing to go down that dark road again. “Well…” She sniffled as a slight smile appeared. “After Jamie proposed and we began planning our wedding, we wanted the ceremony location to be memorable. Something people would talk about for years to come. After discussing everywhere imaginable, each of us wrote down our top pick. My idea was a wedding on top of the cliffs in Maui overlooking the ocean. Jamie thought it would be symbolic for us to get married on our surfboards floating in the middle of the ocean, since that was where we first met. We used to hang out either at the beach or in the water for hours talking the entire time we dated.”
Bridgette’s mouth hung open. “You’ve got to be kidding me? He was joking, right?”
Sophie shook her head. “I wish he was. It took our parents and I weeks to convince him it was a horrible idea. He finally conceded but never let me forget it.”
An alert sounded on Sophie’s phone, bringing her back to the present. She plucked it from her rear pants pocket, eyeing the reminder she set.
“Oh my goodness, it’s time.” Sophie took in a breath. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“Personally, I think it’s a good idea for the whole family.” Bridgette smiled.
Taking her apron off and tossing it in the clothes bin by the door, she turned to Bridge. “Wish me luck. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
Riding up the bumpy driveway of Country Cuties Pet Rescue, Sophie forced the air out of her lungs trying to let go of the last bit of anxiety plaguing her.
Getting a dog for her children would make them the happiest kids on the planet. It would also earn her a bucket full of the world’s greatest mom points.
She couldn’t help but worry about how the kids would fare this coming month. After an unhappy Christmas last year—the first without their father—she was confident a dog would fill their heads with new and exciting memories.
Putting the car in park, she heard the clicking of seatbelts. Sophie glanced at the rearview mirror and saw her son, Cam, smiling while his arms moved freely in the air, a nervous trait of his autism. Her daughter, Zoey, bounced up and down on the edge of the seat with joy.
“Alrighty guys, let’s go find our dog!” she sang, excited for this momentous occasion.
As they approached the double glass doors, Noel, a friend and repeat customer at the cafe, opened the door while smiling at the kids.
“Who wants to get a dog?”
Zoey and Cam yelled out, “Me!” and hugged each side of her.
“Hey, Sophie. You ready for this?” Noel tipped her head. Sophie told her yesterday how bittersweet the moment was for the family.
Jamie told them they would get a dog one day when they didn’t have to move so much. After living in Florida for several years, the kids frequently asked for one up until their father died.
With Noel still holding the door, the kids happily ran through it looking around the inside, no doubt wondering which direction to run in first. “Just a minute kids. I want to talk to Noel.” Sophie heard barking from behind the interior doors.
She filled Noel in on what type dog would work best for them. Noel tried to calm her nerves and assured her they’d be able to find the perfect dog for the family.
“Come on mom, we want to see the dogs.” Zoey pleaded.
Noel leaned in. “The first door to the left is a great place to start. There are some pretty special guests there and luckily you are the first ones here. How about we let the kids start while we talk?”
Sophie nodded. “Let’s go,” she said when Noel opened the door and the kids took off down the hallway.
As expected, they liked them all. “Remember what I told you kids, you need to look at each one before we make a decision.”
“Your mom is right. You don’t want to miss out on that extra special dog because you stopped at the first or second one. Talk to them and see how they respond to you. Try to get to know them.” Noel explained.
She caught up to Sophie as she walked further down the aisle watching all the hopeful eyes staring back at her. “I don’t know how you work here and not want to take them all home.”
“It’s a struggle every day, hon. That’s why I have four dogs at home. So how are the kids doing with Christmas fast approaching?”
Letting out a deep sigh, Sophie told her, “Not too bad, though Cam got upset the other day. He wanted Zoey and I to show him how to ice skate so we went to the skating rink. After falling several times, he got pretty frustrated. Cam said if his dad was there he would have shown him how to do it right. So we cut our trip short and went home without him learning.” Noel stretched her arm around Sophie and gave her a squeeze.
They turned right at the end of the hall and went down the next row when Zoey yelled, “Hey, Ms. Noel?”
“It seems Zoey has some questions,” she muttered as Noel went back to the first row to see what the kids wanted while Sophie continued looking.
A cute whine coming from a kennel on the left got her attention. As she turned to look, her mouth opened with a gasp. “Oh my goodness. Aren’t you a pretty girl?”
She squatted as a broad smile filled her face, before easing over to the front of the cage. “You are just a sweet girl aren’t you?”
The dog cocked her head to the side, licking her lips.
Her heart fluttered as she stretched her hand out once it was through the bars. The dog’s head laid on top of her hand. “Who would give up a special girl like you?”
A wet nose poked through the cage when she pulled her hand away. The dog’s kind eyes seemed to assess Sophie while her walnut colored, floppy ears wiggled side to side as if listening intently.
The markings on her face reminded her of a mask, especially with the hair running down the sides of her nose and under her chin being white like her chest. The shape on her chest resembled the Superman symbol, and the tips of her front paws appeared to be dipped in white paint.
“Hey, Shelby,” a deep voice greeted, causing Sophie to about jump out of her skin and fall to her side, as a hand reached for her.
“I’m fine!” she spoke firmly, catching herself with her left hand.
Sophie glared at the bold hazel eyes scanning her face and asked, “Do you enjoy scaring people? You should have made a noise so I knew you were there.” Frustration bubbled inside and his insensitivity irritated her.
The attractive stranger curled up a corner of his mouth. “I told Shelby hello,” he said in a matter of fact voice.
Shaking her head, Sophie huffed and managed to stand up, mindlessly brushing her clothes. Noticing his tall stature, she felt rather small next to him.
“Who is Shelby?” she asked looking behind her as if someone else was there.
“The dog.” His condescending tone and straight face baffled her. Was she supposed to know that tidbit of information?
He squatted down while talking and petting the dog, ignoring her. Since moving to this town, Sophie hadn’t encountered an unfriendly face—until now.
Feeling flushed, she cleared her throat. “Who said her name is Shelby?” I didn’t notice names on the kennels.
Those purely devilish eyes locked on hers as his jaw tightened. He tilted his head, still petting the dog. “I did,” he replied before returning his attention to Shelby. Is he trying to get under her skin?
Standing over him, she noticed slight waves in his light brown, freshly groomed hair and his two day stubble. “Are you always this rude or are you doing it for my benefit?” she snapped, as she realized he brought out a not so nice side of her.
He stood within arm’s reach, staring down at her. The man looked her over, furrowing his brow. “I’m being rude?” he chuckled.
Frowning, Sophie put her hands on her hips trying to figure out their lack of communication. “Do you always speak so few words?” she asked as his mouth twitched, as if he’s fighting back a smile.
Before he could answer, the kids came running around the corner and noticed the dog in front of her. “I—I love him, mom!” Cam exclaimed.
She stepped closer to her son as Mr. Annoying knelt down in front of the cage. He peered at her before turning to Cam. “This is Shelby and she is a girl. She’s one of our special dogs and needs a really good home. My name is Liam. What’s your name?”
Sophie couldn’t believe how friendly he was to her son, and that he spoke in full sentences. While speaking to her, he was over-confident and rude.
“Cameron, but everyone calls me Cam.” He held his arms close to his body, rubbing his fingers together.
Liam glanced her way before reaching his closed hand through the bars to Shelby. “Well, Cam, the best way to see if a dog is friendly is to tuck your fingers in and slowly move your hand near the dog to let them sniff you. If they lick you or smell you nicely, they are most likely a friendly dog. Do you want to try?” He showed the boy a dimpled smile she was surprised he was capable of producing.
Cam looked up at her and she nodded to him. “Yes, sir.” He grinned at Liam while Zoey scooted next to her brother, happily looking at Shelby.
Noel slid next to her, whispering, “So what do you think of my new volunteer?”
Twisting her head around, Sophie stared at Noel with her mouth agape. “Really?”
“Mmhmm.” Noel winked as Sophie shook her head.
“You didn’t mention a new volunteer when I saw you yesterday.”
“That’s because he stopped by after I saw you. He seems like a good enough guy.”
Sophie huffed again. “Is that even possible? He seems rude to me.”
She and Noel looked at Liam who was busy talking to the kids. They laughed at something he said. Noel remarked, “He sure doesn’t seem rude to Zoey and Cam. Actually, they appear to like him.”
“That man was abrupt and condescending to me before you guys came around the corner. He wouldn’t give me one straight answer.” She crossed her arms, feeling none too happy.
A smirk appeared on Noel’s face before she crossed her own arms and leaned closer. “It sounds like there were some sparks between the two of you.” Pulling away, she gave Sophie a smug look before turning to face the kids.
Sophie’s jaw dropped as Cam and Zoey ran up to her. “We want Shelby, mom. Pleeease?”
She looked at Liam, wondering what he told them. He stood and held his hands up in surrender. They stared at each other for a moment before her attention went to the children. “Are you sure, angels?”
Feeling the instant connection with Shelby, she found herself hoping their answer was yes. “Yes, mom!” they yelled.
“Alright. I really like her too.” Zoey jumped up and down before hugging her. Cam’s arms were flying through the air before he wrapped them around her.
Her heart was full of hope as she watched Shelby dancing on her hind legs, whining. The three of them walked to her cage and petted her together. She licked their hands and stuck her nose through the bars with her tongue hanging out.
She turned to talk to Noel, noticing Liam was gone. She looked around wondering where he went but brought her attention back to her friend. “We found our special dog Noel!”
“What a wonderful choice!” she proclaimed. “I believe Shelby will be the perfect addition to the Beck family.” The kids hugged her before their attention was back to Shelby.
