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A Savannah Christmas Wish
Nan Dixon
A relationship in need of rennovationBess Fitzgerald is thrilled to be overseeing the expansion of her family's B and B. Working with Daniel Forester, not so much. After one wild night, they agreed to stay out of each other's lives. The attraction still sizzles between them now, but Daniel's need to be in control and Bess's impulsive nature continually drive them apart.Keeping their relationship professional is harder than Bess anticipated. And it's not long before they give in to temptation. Suddenly it's clear Daniel needs her in a way she never thought possible. This may be the year Bess finally gets her Christmas wish!
A relationship in need of renovation
Bess Fitzgerald is thrilled to be overseeing the expansion of her family’s B and B. Working with Daniel Forester, not so much. After one wild night, they agreed to stay out of each other’s lives. The attraction still sizzles between them now, but Daniel’s need to be in control and Bess’s impulsive nature continually drive them apart.
Keeping their relationship professional is harder than Bess anticipated. And it’s not long before they give in to temptation. Suddenly it’s clear Daniel needs her in a way she never thought possible. This may be the year Bess finally gets her Christmas wish!
“So, this isn’t a one-night stand?”
“I don’t know what it is.” Daniel dropped her hand and paced over to the stereo, pushing buttons to play a less intense song. “I’m having trouble keeping my hands off you while we work.”
“I know what you mean.” Her fingers tapped her skirt.
He nodded. “I don’t want to mess up our working together.”
“Okay.” Bess waved her hands between them. “We’ll ignore these sparks.”
He moved across the room and grabbed her hands again. “Let’s take a chance.”
He was so close. The scent of sandalwood, lemon and wine filled her head. “What do you mean?”
He took another step and pulled her back into his arms. “We should check out the...possibilities. This is like the rooms we stripped down to the studs. Right now, everything is possible.” Daniel cupped her face with his hands. “Are we on the same page?”
She could barely get words through the lump in her throat. “Okay.”
“Good.” He kissed her slowly.
Dear Reader (#ub196b3a3-8d35-5453-ad83-6581b6593853),
Welcome back to Fitzgerald House Bed and Breakfast and beautiful, quirky Savannah. The Fitzgerald sisters are busy turning Carleton House into a B and B. Bess, a landscape architect, is taking point. She expected to work with Samuel Forester on the restoration, but instead must work with Daniel, his son. (And they have history!) Samuel is sick with MDS, a blood and bone marrow cancer.
In my former career, I worked at a pharmaceutical company that developed a drug to slow and stop the growth of cancer cells in MDS patients. At the drug launch, a former trial participant brought the audience to tears and I’ve never forgotten him. Before receiving the trial drug, he could not walk up stairs, much less play with his grandchildren or work his farm. The drug gave him back his life.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for MDS.
My mother died of bone marrow cancer. The bruising and fatigue were relentless as cancer slowly overtook her body. We were lucky. After diagnosis, my family enjoyed our mother for another eleven years, but I still miss her.
A Savannah Christmas Wish is foremost about family and love. And I love to hear from readers. You can contact me through my website: www.nandixon.com (http://www.nandixon.com).
Happy reading,
Nan Dixon
A Savannah Christmas Wish
Nan Dixon
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
NAN DIXON spent her formative years as an actress, singer, dancer and competitive golfer. But the need to eat had her studying accounting in college. Unfortunately, being a successful financial executive didn’t feed her passion to perform. When the pharmaceutical company she worked for was purchased, Nan got the chance of a lifetime—the opportunity to pursue a writing career. She’s a five-time Golden Heart Award finalist, lives in the Midwest, and is active in her local RWA chapter and on the board of a dance company. She has five children, three sons-in-law, one grandchild, a husband and one neurotic cat.
To Mom and Dad—always.
To my father-in-law. Your goal to make two people smile a day is inspiring. You are missed.
To my family, the big, loud, wonderful group of you—thank you with all my heart.
Acknowledgments (#ub196b3a3-8d35-5453-ad83-6581b6593853)
Special thanks go out to my writing community. First, my critique partners—Ann Hinnenkamp, Neroli Lacey, Leanne Farella and Kathryn Kohorst. Thank you for making me a better writer. Second, my Golden Heart sisters the Unsinkables, Starcatchers, Lucky13s and Dreamweavers. No one could ask for better support. I’m toasting you with prosecco! Next my RWA chapters: MFW, Golden Network and WisRWA. In all my careers, I have not met a more wonderful and sharing group of people. Thank you.
And finally, this book is for my sisters—
Mo, Sue and Trish.
Contents
Cover (#u04eeae6c-0d1f-53a5-8c99-446247bdc46e)
Back Cover Text (#uda18087c-88fe-58fe-8d6e-b8bf3039b9e9)
Introduction (#u91a95fa3-3eac-548a-8d72-951956d0755e)
Dear Reader
Title Page (#ud78bf474-5edf-5a33-b367-48e58d8c6e32)
About the Author (#ufca44692-009c-55b9-8116-b5a592bb97a7)
Dedication (#uf72a062c-afa8-5ac0-9c18-96938836d0b3)
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER ONE (#u4b2fce0c-c149-5bab-b6c8-93e54194fa75)
CHAPTER TWO (#u04644ba2-5291-5c05-a1af-b7fd24507689)
CHAPTER THREE (#u8729fa8d-94cc-5683-b278-cbd591a84d7a)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u4540b0ab-3975-5123-a9c0-34a741cddf01)
CHAPTER FIVE (#ue9ba9afd-9820-545c-9f3f-450665c186fb)
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)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_e9a4793c-2929-592e-a3d2-ac5345b6be17)
I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
“WAIT!” DANIEL RUSHED through the carriage house, his work boots thumping on the wood floor.
Quint climbed out of the trench. “What?”
Pointing at the two-by-fours in the channel, Daniel asked, “Who set the forms?”
“Me.” Quint pushed back his cap. “Why?”
“The footings should be on the opposite side.” Daniel unrolled the blueprints and anchored them with chunks of wood. He hated screwing up.
Taking a slug of water, Quint cursed. He joined Daniel at the makeshift table. “Sorry.”
“Let’s get this corrected.”
He worked side by side with Quint and another crew member, trenching out the correct footings to support the carriage house’s new second floor.
Pop would insist the crew fix their own mistakes, but to get the job done, Daniel preferred staying in control.
He would finish the carriage-house project ahead of schedule, because it was foreplay compared to Forester Construction’s bid on the main house. Restoring Carleton House would be the biggest and sweetest project Pop had ever tackled.
Daniel swiped at the sweat trickling into his eyes and stripped off his T-shirt. It was a typical Savannah August morning. A sauna might be cooler. Even with the carriage doors open, no breeze stirred.
While the crew compacted the dirt and laid rebar, he grabbed his own water jug. Opening his phone, Daniel checked today’s task list. He needed to order the lumber for this renovation, and help Pop and Mom finalize the Carleton House bid.
Coppery fire flashed in the sunlight right outside the doors. In walked Bess Fitzgerald.
He tensed, rubbing his nose. Bess was the one person who ten years ago had taken a hammer to his self-control and destroyed it.
“Look at this.” Bess’s golden-red hair lit up the already sunny carriage house. “Taking out the hayloft opened up the space.”
“I think you should live here, too,” said Bess’s sister Abby. “There’s plenty of room.”
“I love my apartment.” Bess grinned. “Hey, Quint.”
“How’s it going?” Quint called out.
“I’m staying busy.” Bess’s laugh was sweet and high. “That’s always good.”
Bess ignored Daniel. Nothing new there. Bending, she snapped open a folding table.
Daniel tried not to, but his gaze darted to her gaping tank top. The shadow between her breasts called to him like the satin finish on a freshly varnished floor.
“Daniel, when can I work on the gardens?” Bess still didn’t look him in the eye.
When would he and Bess get over this—stiffness? After ten years they should have forgotten what had happened. One night among thousands. Why couldn’t Bess forgive or at least forget?
“Give me a couple of weeks,” Daniel said.
Abby set a tray of sandwiches and bars on the table. “I brought food.”
Bess hefted a large thermos. The table rattled as she set it down. “And lemonade.”
When Forester Construction crews worked for the Fitzgeralds, there were delicious fringe benefits.
The crew headed to the table, but Daniel shook his head. “It’s not even ten thirty.” To the Fitzgeralds, he said, “Thanks.”
Bess crossed her arms and finally looked at him. Her changeable hazel eyes were bright green today. “I need a better answer than a couple of weeks. There are things I want to get done before it gets cold.”
He knew the carriage-house construction schedule but didn’t want Bess painting him into a corner. “Once the footings and floors are in, I’ll give you the exact date.”
