Christmas with the Sheriff

by Victoria James

Overview

Discover the true meaning of Christmas with this beautiful, poignant story about overcoming loss, the strength of family, and finding love again…

It’s been five long years since Julia Bailey lost everything. Returning to Shadow Creek is every bit as hard and painful as she expected, but she’s determined to finally face her fear, which also means spending Christmas with her former in-laws. For the first time in forever, Julia begins to feel the twinges of holiday spirit, especially as she spends more time with an old friend, the irresistible town sheriff, and his adorable daughter.

Single dad and county Sheriff Chase Donovan was secretly in love with his best friend's wife for years. But after her traumatic loss, he knew Julia needed to go, even though helping her leave was the last thing he wanted to do. Now she's home and he doesn't intend to lose her a second time. Chase is going to prove to Julia just how good they can be together this Christmas...and forever.

Each book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series is STANDALONE:
* Christmas with the Sheriff
* The Baby Bombshell
* The Doctor's Redemption
* Baby on the Bad Boy’s Doorstep
* The Firefighter's Pretend Fiance
* A Christmas Miracle for the Doctor

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633757820
Publisher:	Entangled Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	11/07/2016
Series:	Shadow Creek, Montana , #1
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	288,802
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Victoria James is a romance writer living near Toronto. She is a mother to two young children, one very disorderly feline, and wife to her very own hero.

Victoria attended Queen's University and graduated with a degree in English Literature. She then earned a degree in Interior Design. After the birth of her first child she began pursuing her life-long passion of writing.
Her dream of being a published romance author was realized by Entangled in 2012. Victoria is living her dream-staying home with her children and conjuring up happy endings for her characters.

Victoria would love to hear from her readers! You can visit her at www.victoriajames.caor Twitter @vicjames101 or send her an email at [e-mail]

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after's for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she's quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Read an Excerpt

Christmas with the Sheriff

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By Victoria James, Alethea Spiridon

Entangled Publishing, LLC

Copyright © 2016 Victoria James
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63375-782-0

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CHAPTER 1

Five years later

Julia took a deep breath, shutting off her ignition and headlights as she stared at the red-brick Georgian home. Her mother-in-law had loved the Georgian architecture that she had grown up with from her childhood back east, and they'd had the home custom built years ago. Even though it wasn't typical in their rural area of Montana, the home was lovely. It hadn't changed at all. Stately, with black shutters and double-hung windows, and a matching black door, the house beckoned. A large, round boxwood wreath with a red ribbon adorned the front door. The front hall light glowed through the arched transom window, and Julia could still picture the delicate crystal chandelier inside. Towering ponderosa pines flanked the driveway, the tips of the branches almost forming an arch. Snow lined each limb, as though they had been meticulously painted on, one by one.

Five years. It had been five years since she had visited her in-laws. She owed them a visit much earlier. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She should have come when her father-in-law had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but she hadn't. By that time she'd uncovered the disturbing truth about Michael and she couldn't deal with coming back here and facing all of them. But Shadow Creek had also been her home, and these people were her family.

She opened her eyes again and gave a little nod. Well, she was here now for Christmas. She wrapped her hands around the leather handle of her small tote and clutched her purse. The crisp, cold winter air greeted her as she stepped outside her car, cooling her flushed face. It smelled the same — fresh, pure. There was nowhere in the world that smelled like Montana. The driveway and walkway had been shoveled and salted, and her boots crunched against the large granules.

Warmth spread through her body as the front door opened even before she'd made it to the front porch. She clamped down hard on her back teeth in an attempt to rein in the tears as Cassandra and Edward appeared.

"My dear, you are here!" Cassandra Bailey called out, the break in her voice audible.

She dashed up the walkway and steps, outrunning the memories of all the times she'd been here with Michael and Matthew. She ran into the arms of the people that had treated her like their own from day one.

Comfort, the kind that could only be offered from a mother, enveloped her. She held on, squeezing Cassandra, restoring the bond they'd had between them. Edward folded her into his arms, and he kissed the top of her head gently before releasing her.

She had come home.

Edward Bailey gently ushered her through the doorway. "Come in, come in."

Julia noticed the lines around their eyes had deepened, and creases that weren't there years ago had claimed their residence. Edward was still tall with a slightly rounded stomach and maintained his aura of dignity. Cassandra, always thin, had now put on weight, making her seem even more maternal.

They each held on to one of her hands and she looked around the entryway. The deep sage colored walls with the crisp white wainscoting were exactly as she remembered; the grand staircase with its dark wood banister had been dressed for the season with fresh cedar roping and luxurious velvet ribbons.

"Cassy, you still have the nicest Christmas decorations I've ever seen," Julia said, squeezing her hand.

"Julia, is that you?" Her sister-in-law Gwen walked down the corridor, drying her hands on a dishtowel. A brown, medium-sized dog bounded past her and up to Julia. Julia laughed as she looked down into the eager face.

Gwen nudged the dog aside gently by her pink collar. "This is Lola. Don't even ask about that name," she said with a frown before wrapping Julia up in a big hug.

Lola nudged Julia a few times until they broke off the hug and she patted the dog's fluffy head. "You are so cute, Lola." The dog, as if agreeing, tilted her head to the side before giving her hand a lick. "I had no idea you had a dog now."

Edward chuckled. "She's Gwen's. We didn't want a dog but she twisted our arm."

Gwen frowned at him. "I read about dogs and how beneficial they are especially when people are sick."

"Well, there are no sick people around here," Edward said with a shake of his gray head. "Now enough of this standing in the hallway like some stranger. Come in the kitchen. You ladies can do all that hugging once we've had a piece of that pie." He ushered them all down the hallway. Lola trotted dutifully along behind him.

Gwen whispered to Julia as they walked, "He says she's my dog, but those two became the best of friends. She even went to each treatment Dad had at the hospital."

"She watched over him every day when we'd come back too." Cassy inhaled sharply and plunked her hands on her wide hips as they stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Edward had a knife in his hand and was ready to slice into the pie on the kitchen counter.

"Edward Bailey, put down the knife."

Edward sighed and did exactly as his wife told him, though a few grumbles did escape his mouth.

Julia laughed. "I'm glad to see your appreciation for pie hasn't changed."

"It's gotten worse," Cassy said, marching over and snatching up the knife. "Dr. Hart says he needs to watch how many sweets he eats."

"Well, it's the holiday season and it's not every day a man's favorite daughter-in-law comes home," he said with a wink. His weathered face crinkled slightly as he chuckled and settled himself at the head of the table. Lola rested at his feet. Edward patted the place setting beside him and waved Julia over.

"I can see how it would be hard to resist. It smells so good in here," Julia said, settling in beside him. The long, black farmhouse table was set with quilted, holly and berry placemats and a bright red poinsettia sat in the middle. The country kitchen was toasty, the granite counters filled with canisters of flour and sugar and mixing bowls. They had all changed, but this house was exactly the same.

"I just pulled apple pie and cranberry muffins out of the oven," Gwen said, flashing a smile as she arranged the muffins on a red Santa plate.

Cassandra poured coffee into matching Santa mugs and walked them over to the table.

"Can I help?" Julia asked, rising. Five years ago she would have been busy keeping Matthew away from the sweets until they were ready. She could think about that now without crying, if she didn't think about it too long.

"Not at all. You've had a long drive, and we want you to sit and relax. You're home, my dear, back in Shadow Creek," Cassandra said, pausing in the middle of the kitchen. Her faded blue eyes shone with emotion and Julia swallowed past the lump in her throat as she smiled at her mother-in-law.

"We've missed you," Edward said, leaning forward and patting her hand. She placed hers atop his, cherishing the warmth from his large, leathery hand. "Cassy couldn't sleep all night. Kept tossing and turning, she was so excited."

Cassandra handed them their mugs of coffee. "Oh I wasn't the only one! How many times did you ask what time she was supposed to arrive today?"

Edward chuckled and Julia basked in their company. She was ready for this now.

"You have all been on my mind and there hasn't been a day where I haven't thought of you. Edward, I owe you an apology for not being here this past year."

"Nonsense. We all did what we had to. We mourn in our own way and none of us begrudge you that. We're happy you're here now. I'm fine. I'm a tough old goat. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than cancer to kick my old butt."

Julia smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that."

"And how are your parents doing, dear?"

"They're doing really well. Off to visit my mom's sister on the East Coast. They haven't been out there, since ... since I went back to live in the city. But when I told them I was coming here this year, I twisted their arms to go." The last few years her parents had been by her side constantly. Julia insisted that this year they get their lives back and do all the things they'd put on hold for five years. She knew they'd agree when they heard she was going back to Shadow Creek.

Cassandra smiled, sitting down. "Oh, that's good. I'm glad your mom is going to see her sister. It looks like we might have another Christmas visitor."

"Who?"

Cassandra smiled. "Jack."

Julia gasped and tears filled her eyes automatically. Jack. Michael's twin brother. She hadn't been the only one who'd run from Shadow Creek after the accident. Jack had taken off, without warning, leaving only a note saying good-bye. He called and he wrote, but he hadn't been home since.

Edward stared out the French doors into the back yard. White twinkling lights were wrapped around the deck railing. "About time that boy came home."

Gwen groaned, sitting down at the table across from her. "I didn't say he was coming home for sure. All I said was that I tried."

Edward reached down to pat Lola's head. "He will. I feel it."

Julia watched as he took a sip of his coffee. Jack and Michael had been connected in a way that none of them could truly understand. They were different and the same. Twins. Best friends. Michael's death had ripped him apart. As it had all of them. She would never tell them about Michael. It would only add new wounds.

Cassandra smiled, Julia giving her smile extra vivacity. "We can only pray, Julia. Now, why don't we dig into some of this delicious pie and then you can get all settled in the guest room, dear."

"Thanks, Cassandra," she whispered, taking a long sip of the velvety coffee. She wrapped her hands around the mug and settled into the black ladder-back chair, trying to look at ease.

"Tell me what you think of that pie. No holding back, I can take it," Gwen said, leaning forward.

Julia sliced through the flaky crust with her fork and lifted the pie to her lips. "You always were the best baker." She closed her eyes for a moment and was greeted with a jolt of warm apples and cinnamon. "Omigod, good."

Gwen tucked a shiny strand of brown hair behind her ear and then smiled, leaning forward. "Lily and I are finally ready to open our chocolate shop."

Julia sucked in a breath. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"We're very proud of Gwen. She's been saving and working like crazy to make this a reality," Edward said, winking at his daughter. "Lily too. The two of them deserve it."

Julia clutched the mug of coffee closer to her as she thought of Lily. When Jack had skipped town, it wasn't just his family he'd abandoned. Lily had been his fiancée, the woman they all knew he would one day marry. "How's Lily doing?"

Gwen frowned, stabbing her piece of pie a little too forcefully, apples oozing out of the sides. "She's okay. Now. But it took her a while. And if my big brother does come home this Christmas, he'll have a hell of a lot of apologizing to do."

"I don't want to hear any of that," Cassy whispered, clutching her hands to the side of the table and leaning forward. "If my boy comes home this Christmas, we are all going to welcome him, hug him and —"

"I know, Mom. I want him home too. I can still be hurt for him leaving us and for ditching Lily. But, of course I want Jack home," Gwen said, resting her fork on the table, the pie never reaching her lips.

"Hello," a deep voice, an unmistakeable voice, boomed from the entrance and barrelled into her memories. The voice was followed by fast little footsteps. Lola stood and ran toward the guests. Julia looked first at the little girl she had only seen in pictures for the last five years. Then she looked up at the man that had remained in her thoughts every day since she left Shadow Creek.

Chase Donovan filled the kitchen doorway and every square inch of her mind.

A familiar, comforting, hot-chocolatey warmth billowed over her as his gaze landed on her. Waves of memories lapped in, one by one until her mind was flooded with Chase. He had saved her, repeatedly in the month following Michael and Matthew's death. Chase, with his inky black hair and midnight blue eyes was even more handsome than when she'd first met him. All soft lines were replaced with beautiful angles and hollows. His features were clearly defined; the planes of his strong jaw contrasting with a surprisingly sensual mouth. It was almost unexpected, the only soft spot on his otherwise masculine face. The long, thin scar below his ear and down his jaw was the only flaw on an otherwise impossibly beautiful face. He was tall, and built like a man who knew how to fight. But Chase had only ever shown her tenderness. He'd always been a man who had the ability to make women's pulses beat faster and their hearts swell with hope.

"Good to see you, Julia," he said gruffly.

She stood, wondering why now it felt so awkward. She had cried on his shoulder what must have been hundreds of times. He'd held her in his arms. He'd carried her away from her darkest thoughts on her darkest days. And yet now, five years later, she hesitated a few seconds before rounding the table and then into his arms. He folded her up against his hard chest, and the weight of his arms around her sheltered her like no one else could.

"I'm so damn happy you came home for Christmas," he whispered against her hair, and the raw emotion in his deep voice rapped quietly against all the closed doors inside her soul.

There was a tug on her sweater. "Auntie Julia, it's me, Maggie!"

Julia stepped away from Chase and looked down at the little girl who looked very much like her daddy. She knelt down to give the little girl a big hug, her heart swelling as Maggie's small arms wrapped around her neck. Julia pulled back to look at her.

"You have grown so much! You're so much bigger than last year's Christmas card!"

Maggie nodded rapidly. "It's true, I'm growing up! I'm going to be as tall as Daddy."

Chase chuckled, ruffling the top of her shiny head with his hand.

"I'm in grade two now," Maggie continued, her eyes glued to Julia's. Matthew would have been in grade two as well. Chase's wife had gotten pregnant with Maggie a few months after Julia. Julia smiled at the little girl, silencing the voices of her memories. She had prepared herself for seeing Maggie again. It had taken a long time to be able to look at a child without wanting to curl back inside herself. But Maggie was different. Julia sensed everyone watching her, worried that seeing Maggie would sadden her.

She straightened up and smiled down at her. "And how's grade two going?"

"Tough. There's homework and stuff."

"Maggie, I saved you a piece of pie," Gwen called, placing a plate of pie and a glass of milk on the kitchen table. Maggie skipped over to the chair beside Gwen and sat down. "Thanks, Auntie Gwen."

"She inherited my sweet tooth," Chase said, shooting her a lopsided grin as they settled back into their chairs.

Cassandra passed Chase a plate filled with pie and a cup of coffee. "Thanks, Cassy, this is just what I needed."

She patted his shoulder before sitting down.

"You better eat all that pie, Julia," Cassandra said, wagging her fork at her. "You've gotten far too thin."

She felt Chase's eyes on her and she looked down at her plate. The weird, fluttery feeling in her stomach had nothing to do with wanting more pie. "I eat, I eat," she said, picking up her fork. Of course she ate. But eating for one was different. Not having anyone to cook for, bake for, fuss for, took the joy out of eating. She hated cooking for herself.

"Julia looks great. I wish I had that problem," Gwen said with a laugh. Julia caught the hint of embarrassment in her voice as she spoke. She had noticed that her sister-in-law had put on weight since she'd last seen her. But Gwen was as pretty as ever and she wouldn't have guessed it was an issue. She had the same coloring as her brothers — brown hair with streaks of blond and hazelnut colored eyes. All three Bailey children were stunning, extra pounds or not.

"You're as gorgeous as always, Gwen," Chase said.

Gwen rolled her eyes and gave him a light punch on the side of his arm. "And you are as charming as always."

"Guess what, everyone?" Maggie was sitting on her knees looking around the table and she clanked her fork against her glass.

Chase reached over with a groan, holding on to the glass as it tipped precariously to one side. "All right, Maggie, I think you have everyone's attention now," he said, his deep voice laced with laughter.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Christmas with the Sheriff by Victoria James, Alethea Spiridon. Copyright © 2016 Victoria James. Excerpted by permission of Entangled Publishing, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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