скачать книгу бесплатно
Reunited At Christmas
Belle Calhoune
A Season to RememberTwo years after the avalanche everyone thought had claimed her life, Ruby Prescott returns to the remote Alaskan town of Love. And no one is more ecstatic than her husband Liam and their young son. Even if amnesia has robbed Ruby of her memories, she’s soon woven back into the fabric of their lives. As they celebrate the holiday season, Ruby is falling head over heels with the man she’s told was the love of her life. But she can’t escape the feeling that there's something Liam is keeping a secret. Will the return of her memories tear them apart for good—or will this be a Christmas she’ll never forget?
A Season to Remember
Two years after the avalanche everyone thought had claimed her life, Ruby Prescott returns to the remote Alaskan town of Love. And no one is more ecstatic than her husband, Liam, and their young son. Even if amnesia has robbed Ruby of her memories, she’s soon woven back into the fabric of their lives. As they celebrate the holiday season, Ruby is falling head over heels for the man she’s told was the love of her life. But she can’t escape the feeling that there’s something Liam is keeping a secret. Will the return of her memories tear them apart for good—or will this be a Christmas she’ll never forget?
“She doesn’t remember you, Liam.”
Liam let out a strangled sound that caused her to flinch.
Liam. It was a nice name. Strong. Solid. He was good-looking. Rugged. He had dark brown hair. His warm blue eyes radiated an intensity that unnerved her.
And he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.
Liam ran a shaky hand over his face. “Wh-what are you talking about, Boone?”
The sheriff still had a hold on Liam. They were face-to-face, staring each other down. Electricity crackled in the room. What had Sheriff Prescott told Liam over the phone?
Liam shook his head in disbelief. His face held a dazed expression. He swung his gaze back toward her. “Ruby,” he said, brushing off the sheriff’s grip. He took two steps toward her. She held her ground without retreating. “I can’t believe it’s you. I feel like I’m dreaming. You’re back!”
“I don’t remember you. Or this town,” Ruby blurted out. She tilted her chin up, locking gazes with him. “I’m sorry.”
Dear Reader (#u3ad61cca-c86d-58c2-a360-bae645c41470),
Thank you for joining me on this journey to Love, Alaska. I truly hope you enjoyed Liam and Ruby’s love story. I really enjoyed writing this reunion romance with a twist.
I love Christmas. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Peppermint hot chocolate. Decking the halls. Placing the star on top of the Christmas tree. Spreading cheer and goodwill. And above all, celebrating the birth of Christ.
Liam and Ruby’s love story was one I really wanted to tell. Marriages go through tough times, and with love and faith, coupled with God’s guiding light, we can work through these obstacles. Love really can move mountains.
Ruby Prescott is a woman who is searching for truth and family connections. The ties that bind us to the ones we love is a powerful theme. Although Ruby questions whether she truly belongs in Love, what she finds in the small fishing village is true, enduring love and happiness.
Although Liam has a clear view of the past, he’s not certain of his future. He’s bogged down by the mistakes of the past and his fear of Ruby remembering that their marriage wasn’t perfect. What he learns is that God doesn’t expect perfection from us. All of us are flawed, imperfect beings, but saved by God’s grace.
Both Liam and Ruby needed faith to get them through the difficult questions surrounding the future of their marriage. Ultimately, they discover that love is truly the best gift of all.
I am honored to write for the Love Inspired line. It’s been a dream come true. Being able to work in my pajamas is the best perk of the job.
I love hearing from readers, however you choose to contact me. You can reach me by email at scalhoune@gmail.com, at my Author Belle Calhoune Facebook page or at my website, bellecalhoune.com (http://www.bellecalhoune.com). If you’re on Twitter, reach out to me @BelleCalhoune (https://mobile.twitter.com/bellecalhoune).
Blessings,
Belle
BELLE CALHOUNE grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. Married to her college sweetheart, she is raising two lovely daughters in Connecticut. A dog lover, she has one mini poodle and a chocolate Lab. Writing for the Love Inspired line is a dream come true. Working at home in her pajamas is one of the best perks of the job. Belle enjoys summers in Cape Cod, traveling and reading.
Reunited at Christmas
Belle Calhoune
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
—1 Corinthians 13:7
For my father, Fred C. Bell, who always worked hard to make Christmas a wonderful time for his children. And for paying all of my outrageous library fines I accrued over the years.
Acknowledgments (#u3ad61cca-c86d-58c2-a360-bae645c41470)
For my family... Thanks for always listening to all my story ideas and giving me a thumbs-up.
For all the readers who have been asking for more stories set in Love, Alaska. Thank you for embracing the Alaskan Grooms series.
For my editor, Emily Rodmell,
for all of your support and enthusiasm for
Liam and Ruby’s love story.
Contents
Cover (#u201be401-98ab-5fa4-950c-f6e6268dbd89)
Back Cover Text (#uc769ab2c-e02b-59f6-b8c3-b1cf0e20a16c)
Introduction (#u67786c50-7707-59ad-9937-9973152d0c81)
About the Author (#u8d5d985b-5ec8-5026-b6f6-72fb26b2077a)
Title Page (#ub960364a-b586-52b7-ab7a-d5be964d5804)
Bible Verse (#uafaaf065-c864-514b-976a-760201571b33)
Dedication (#u08a43034-b976-5050-9ccc-e1d567d103fd)
Acknowledgments (#ud74225d6-d8f1-5bdc-96f6-16e107f47137)
Chapter One (#u001dcd63-c883-5bf6-b0f1-f359ebab1902)
Chapter Two (#u719bbdbd-d1e9-57d7-b2ed-474a153bf898)
Chapter Three (#u2af21a3f-7e82-5573-94d8-eb56efafddbd)
Chapter Four (#u5708779f-f095-5858-9f7c-77b00b43acf2)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Dear Reader (#u37ad8509-5c45-535f-bb5c-f6170d9d1a98)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u3ad61cca-c86d-58c2-a360-bae645c41470)
Dr. Liam Prescott had always loved Christmas. When it came right down to it, there was no place he would rather be celebrating the holiday than in his hometown of Love, Alaska. Candy canes. Twinkling lights. Peppermint hot chocolate at the Moose Café. Pine trees at the ready for decorating. Caroling from door to door. Normally there wasn’t a single thing about it he didn’t enjoy.
He’d been putting up a brave front these past few weeks, but he still felt as if he had a huge hole in the middle of his heart. It was especially hard over the holidays to deal with the loss of a loved one.
This year he would focus on Aidan. It would serve as a distraction from everything they had lost two years ago. The sound of his four-year-old son’s tinkling laughter as he enjoyed the spirit of the season would be the highlight. To see it unfold through Aidan’s eyes would be wonderful. Despite the fact they were still grieving, he wanted to give his son the most memorable Christmas ever. Although he would try his best to enjoy the festive season, it was still incredibly difficult. The loss of his wife in an avalanche search-and-rescue mission two years ago continued to sit heavily on his chest like an anchor.
Liam walked down Jarvis Street, pausing to peer through the window of the five-and-dime so he could check out the toys on display. So far he had a few items stashed away for Aidan, but nothing that would knock his socks off. He needed something fantastic that Aidan could rip open on Christmas morning and feel ecstatic about. Maybe if he focused on his son’s joy he wouldn’t have to deal with his own pain.
He regarded the red toboggan with a critical eye. Red was Aidan’s favorite color. His son was getting to the age where he wanted to fly down the smaller hills in town without his father cramping his style. I’m a big boy, Daddy. Aidan’s words buzzed in his ears. His pluck and grit made him smile.
Every day Aidan was growing, both physically and emotionally. He was starting to ask questions about his mother and the tragedy that had befallen her and irrevocably changed both their lives. Liam always tried to be as honest as possible, while still protecting his son’s innocence. He wished that he could tell Aidan that he himself understood why Ruby had been taken from them. But he didn’t understand. Not one little bit.
People often said losing a loved one was like navigating a treacherous, winding river. As far as he was concerned, it was much worse. He knew he should have pushed past the initial overwhelming grief stage, but every time he thought about his sweet, beautiful Ruby, he found himself floundering in a tidal wave of loss.
How did a person ever make peace with losing the love of a lifetime? He still hadn’t found an answer to that question. Liam had come to terms with the idea that he had to move forward with his life, but he still ached for Ruby. He still agonized about the things he could have done differently. He continued to ask God why He hadn’t spared her.
The insistent buzz of his cell phone had him digging in his coat pocket. A quick glance at the screen displayed his brother Boone’s number at the sheriff’s office.
He tapped the phone with his finger. “Hey, Boone,” he answered as he took the call “What’s going on?”
“Where have you been? I’ve been calling you for the last hour.” Boone’s voice had a frantic quality.
“I’m right here on Jarvis Street, heading back to the clinic,” Liam explained. “I just finished eating a few minutes ago.”
Liam had stopped in to eat lunch at his other brother’s coffee bar, the Moose Café. No doubt the din inside had prevented him from hearing his phone ring.
“Can you come by the sheriff’s office right away? It’s important.” He hadn’t imagined it. Boone’s voice sounded tight with strain.
“What happened? Is it Jasper?” Liam asked, inquiring about their grandfather, Mayor Jasper Prescott. His pulse began to race wildly. As patriarch of the Prescott family, Jasper was well loved. At times irascible and feisty, he could also be tender and wise. And due to his heart problems, they had almost lost him not too long ago. His health was a constant source of worry.
“No, it’s not Jasper. You have to prepare yourself—” The line crackled. Boone’s voice was swallowed up by static.
“Boone! Boone!” he called out. “I can’t hear you. The call is breaking up.”
“Urgent. Need to tell you—” A crackling sound came across the line. Suddenly the call dropped.
Something was wrong. Liam had heard it in his older brother’s voice. The sheriff’s office was only a few minutes away. Rather than call Boone back, Liam decided to head straight over to his office. Please, Lord. Let my family be safe and sound. We already dealt with the worst when we lost Ruby! Don’t let anything take us down that road again.
Liam raced down the street, barely pausing to say hello to passersby as they greeted him. As a doctor here in town, he had a lot of clients who loved to stop him for a chat whenever he passed by. There was no time for that today. There had been something strained in his brother’s tone that Liam had found alarming. He pushed open the door to the sheriff’s office and rushed inside. Shelly, Boone’s receptionist, stared at him with wide eyes. Fear skittered through him. Normally she greeted him effusively.
What in the world is going on?
Shelly pointed toward Boone’s office without saying a single word. With his heart in his throat, Liam thrust the door open without even knocking. Boone was standing in front of his desk, his head bowed. There was a woman seated in the chair facing his desk. All Liam could see was the back of her head and shoulders.
“Sorry to interrupt your meeting. The call cut out, so I headed straight over here.” The words tumbled from Liam’s lips. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. He felt almost breathless.
Boone held up his hands. “Liam. Let’s go in the next room. I need to talk to you.” His face had a gray tinge. His jaw was tightly clenched.
Just as Boone stepped toward him, the woman turned her head around, allowing him to see her face head-on. It was a face that had been seared to his heart, mind and soul for eight years. Long, dark brown hair. Brown eyes flecked with caramel. Café-au-lait-colored skin. A heart-shaped face.
Liam let out a guttural cry. He felt a falling sensation, as if someone had pushed him off the highest branches of a mighty oak tree. For a moment he couldn’t get a breath. There was no way he could utter a single word.
“Steady!” Boone said, grabbing hold of his arms as his knees buckled underneath him.
The room began to spin. He pressed his eyes closed. What was happening to him? Nothing was making sense at the moment. Everything in his world had turned upside down.
When he opened his eyes again, she was still sitting there, regarding him with a shuttered expression on her face. Ruby. His wife. The only woman he had ever loved.
Although she had been declared dead approximately two years ago in a failed search-and-rescue mission in Colorado, she was now sitting in Boone’s mahogany chair, looking very much alive and well.
* * *
Ruby stood from her chair, wanting to be on the same level as the sheriff and the man he’d referred to as Liam. It already seemed as if she was at a distinct disadvantage in this situation. Having amnesia meant she had no tangible memories of this fishing village in Alaska, nor did she recognize the man named Liam who looked as if his legs might buckle underneath him. She was still getting used to the name Ruby. For the first year after her accident she’d called herself Kit until she had remembered her real name.
Sheriff Prescott hadn’t told her who he had been on the phone with earlier, although she had heard him speak in an urgent tone. Next thing she knew, Liam had crashed into the room like a man on a mission.
All she felt at the moment was an overwhelming sense of fear. It was the same emotion she’d been battling for the last two years. Her legs were shaking like crazy. Coming to Love, Alaska, had been an act of pure bravery on her part. She had wanted to face her nebulous past so she could move forward with her life. And now, caught in this uncomfortable moment, she found herself wishing she had stayed back home in Colorado.
Home? That was a misnomer. She hadn’t yet found a place to call home. Perhaps she never would. After seeing a story on the news about a matchmaking program called Operation Love, she had experienced a strong feeling of connection with the town featured in the report—Love, Alaska. As a result, she had ventured all the way there in the hope of getting answers. And standing here before her was a man who might be able to provide them for her.
Her entire body froze. There was so much emotion etched on the man named Liam’s face. The way he was looking at her caused something to tighten in her chest. There had been a look of absolute shock, followed by an expression of such joy that it made her want to sob. The sheriff hadn’t told her anything about who this man was, but she knew instinctively that he had been a huge part of her life. His reaction to her presence spoke volumes.
“Ruby!” Liam’s voice sounded raspy and filled with surprise. He moved toward her with his arms open. She took a step backward, overwhelmed by the thought of being touched by a stranger. The sheriff held him back, and Ruby heard him say, “She doesn’t remember you, Liam.”
