Christmas in Pine Ridge: Clean Contemporary Romance (A Pine Ridge Romance) Read online

  Emily nodded. “I deserve an award for actress of the year.” She fanned herself dramatically. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to not say anything.” She gave a casual shrug. “Dad and Max knew too, so I guess they deserve some credit.”

  Hope continued to gape, not sure whether to hug her sister or slug her in the arm.

  Emily lifted her hands. “What? We’re even now—a surprise for a surprise.”

  Hope shook her head, unable to suppress a smile. “Fine. We’ll call a truce.” She glanced at Owen, deciding she’d take a surprise like this any day.

  His blue eyes brimmed with happiness as he took her hand.

  Emily stepped back and gestured to the door. “We’ve got lots of good food inside, and a game going if you guys want to join us.”

  Owen looked between the two of them, his expression uncertain. “I don’t want to intrude on your family on Christmas Eve.”

  “It’s no intrusion,” Hope assured him. She wasn’t about to let him go now. “How long can you stay?”

  He flushed. “I was hoping to stay at least a few days. I didn’t know how things would go down, so I got a rental car and planned to stay at a hotel nearby.”

  “Nonsense. I told you in the text there’s no need to spend money on a hotel when Max and I have a perfectly good house down the street,” Emily said. “We have the guest room all ready for you.”

  Hope gave her a grateful smile. She could almost her hear mom saying those exact same words, and the thought warmed her.

  “Oh no, that’s where I draw the line,” Owen insisted. “I couldn’t impose on Christmas morning.”

  “Sure you could.” Emily put her hands on her hips. “And it’s not imposing. I expect payment in return.”

  Hope blinked, wondering what she was getting at.

  Emily folded her arms. “You can film Hope’s episode morning after next. That way I won’t have to get up early.”

  Hope’s shoulders relaxed. She had to hand it to her sister, she was nothing if not clever. “But only if you want to,” she added. She didn’t want Owen to feel obligated.

  He shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’d love to.”

  “Great!” Emily clapped her hands together. “I’ll go inside and let Max and Dad know our special guest has arrived. You two take all the time you need for …” She waved her hand, gesturing to their faces with an impish smile. “Whatever.” She stepped into the house, closing the door behind her.

  A breeze picked up, blowing Hope’s hair across her face. Owen brushed it back and pressed his forehead against hers.

  “You know what?” he asked, his voice dropping low.

  Her heart skipped around in her chest. “What?”

  “This is the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had.”

  She grinned. “Merry Christmas, Owen.”

  “Merry Christmas, Hope.”

  Joy flowed through her like warm rain as she stood on tiptoe, wrapping her arms around his neck. His blue eyes glimmered as he gazed at her with a look of absolute contentment. It was the look he’d had the night of the sleigh ride, but now his gaze held something more—something that made her heart beat erratically.

  It held love.

  He gave her the crooked smile that turned her insides to jelly, before bending his face down. Hope’s breathing stilled, every nerve taut with expectation. The salty ocean air mingled with the scent of pine boughs, filling her senses as Owen gently pressed his lips to hers.

  Epilogue

  “Hi, friends, and welcome to another episode of Mindful Mornings,” Hope said, smiling at the camera. They were filming on the beach in Corpus Christi today. Owen gave her a thumbs-up from behind the camera. Now that Emily had had her baby girl, he filmed Hope’s weekly episodes and had become a pro. After visiting Owen and falling in love with Texas, she’d sold her place in Oceanside and bought an apartment in Corpus Christi so Owen could keep working on the ranch.

  “This morning we have a special guest,” she continued. “My boyfriend, Owen Davis, served in Afghanistan and is going to do a series of videos specifically for those who struggle with PTSD. And so our viewers can become acquainted with him, he’s going to start off our warm-up poses today.”

  Owen switched off the red filming light and bit one corner of his lip, tilting his head to the side. “I’m thinking we’re going to have to retake that shoot.”

  She frowned. “Uh-oh. Was there a smudge on the lens?” Sometimes filming on the beach was tricky, trying to keep the elements from interfering with a clean shoot.

  He gave her a warm look that got her heart racing and slowly shook his head. “Nope.” He walked toward her, and she raised a puzzled eyebrow.

  “Then what is it?”

  His eyes held hers. “It’s the fact that you introduced me as your boyfriend.” He lowered his voice and searched her gaze. “I’m hoping to be something more.”

  Hope’s heart stammered as he bent down on one knee, holding an open ring box in his hand. She blinked rapidly, her mind trying to process the large diamond glittering in the morning sunlight. She couldn’t breathe.

  “Hope Sullivan,” Owen said, his voice husky, “you’re the woman of my dreams and the one I want to share my life with.” He looked directly into her eyes, holding them fast. “Marry me?”

  She covered her mouth with her hands, unable to think or move or breathe. Her heart drummed, drummed, drummed in her chest, making her dizzy with emotion. “Yes,” she managed, lowering her hands. She swallowed and found her voice as she nodded, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek. “Yes, yes, yes!”

  His blue eyes glistened and he stood, wrapping his strong arms around her. She released a blissful sigh and held him tight, basking in the moment of this new something between them—the something that would change all of the somethings for the rest of their lives. She could feel his heart beating against hers and had never felt anything so beautiful.

  He spun her around in the sand and she laughed, feeling as light and weightless as a bird set free of its cage. Owen grinned and stopped spinning, pressing his forehead to hers. “I thought nothing could top last Christmas,” he said, his blue eyes clear and shining with undiluted happiness. “But I was wrong.”

  Hope nodded, the warmth of his gaze making her breath catch. “This is going to be the best Christmas ever. And every Christmas after that.”

  He put his arms around her waist, his mouth tugging up in one corner. “You’re the only gift I’ll ever want or need ... my Hope for Christmas.”

  Her heart reached for him then, and he pulled her closer, capturing her mouth in a spine-tingling kiss.

  FREE Book Offer!

  Join Holly’s List for a FREE book!

  Pretty Please . . .

  Enjoyed the Book?

  Make Holly’s day and leave a review.

  (The option to review should automatically appear

  when you swipe through to the end).

  Thank you so much!

  Acknowledgments

  Every book has a behind-the-scenes team that makes it possible, and I want to take a minute to thank the people on my team.

  First, to my husband Steve, and our four kids, I absolutely could not write my stories without your support. You make my world go ’round and I love each of you for putting up with me and letting me know what love is all about.

  To my mentor and friend extraordinaire, Chelsea Hale, who never complains about my endless questions and cheers me on no matter what, thank you for helping me on this exciting journey.

  I also have to thank Michelle Bangerter for being a powerhouse beta reader and motivating me to keep the stories coming. To Natasha Plyer, Denise Roundy, and Maria Hoagland for your contributions. I’m blessed to call each of you my friend.

  A shout out to Valerie Bybee and Jenna Roundy for their wonderful editing. Thanks for adding your polish!

  To the friends and family members too many to name, thank you for asking about my writing, and for your sup
port and encouragement. You’ll never know how much it means.

  Sincere thanks to my cousin, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Christensen of the United States Air Force. Thanks for helping me with military facts, and especially for your service to our country.

  Finally, to all of those who have served to protect our freedoms, saying “thanks” will never be enough.

  About the Author

  Holly Stevenson is a romantic at heart. She loves to read, eat out, watch movies, and spend time with family and friends. As a former flight attendant, she has plenty of traveling hours under her belt, but never tires of exploring new places. One of her favorite pastimes is researching potential vacation spots.

  Holly also enjoys being near water, and has a weakness for any combination of chocolate and caramel. She rarely sleeps in, preferring the early morning quiet to accommodate her incurable writing addiction. She is blessed to live with her favorite people: her husband and four kids, in a house overlooking the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

  To learn more about Holly and her books, please visit Holly’s Amazon page.