Mistletoe & Mayhem: Mistletoe & Mayhem / Santa's Sexy Secret. Lori Wilde
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Two brand-new stories in every volume…twice a month!
Duets Vol. #39
“Colleen Collins is a real find,” says Under the Covers, and there’s no doubt Colleen is one of the funniest authors around. Joining her in this volume is talented Darlene Gardner, an Intimate Moments writer making her Duets debut with a hilarious story!
Duets Vol. #40
According to Romantic Times, Cara Summers “thrills us with her fresh, exciting voice…rich characterization and spicy adventure.” Teaming up with Cara in this humorous Christmas volume is talented Lori Wilde, who has more than ten books to her credit.
Be sure to pick up both Duets volumes today!
Mistletoe & Mayhem
Cara Summers
Santa’s Sexy Secret
Lori Wilde
Contents
Mistletoe & Mayhem
Cara Summers
A little bit of mistletoe sure goes a long way!
Shane fought to control his breathing. He looked at Jodie, expecting to find her embarrassed, angry even. Instead in her eyes was pure, unadulterated glee. Obviously noticing his confusion, Jodie let out a delighted chuckle.
“Aren’t you upset about what that kid saw? The two of us necking like…” Shane’s throat dried up at the thought of how far he would have liked to have taken the interlude. “Do you realize he thinks we’re—”
“Lovers.” Nodding, Jodie burst into a fresh wave of giggles. “Don’t you see? I’ve been trying so hard to change my image in this town. I’m tired of being poor, predictable Jodie. And now they’ll think that you and I, that we…Oh, I wish I’d thought fast enough to introduce you as the gardener.”
“The gardener? Why would you want a gardener at this time of year?”
“So I could be the Lady Chatterley of Castleton, New York,” she quipped. “After all, if people are going to talk, we might as well give them something to talk about….”
Dear Reader,
When my editor asked me if I wanted to set my romantic comedy in the holiday season, I jumped at the chance. After all, Christmas has got to be the most perfect time of year to fall in love.
The only problem was that my hero and heroine wouldn’t cooperate. Jodie and Shane simply didn’t have time to fall in love, let alone time to think about Christmas. They were much too busy trying to catch Jodie’s embezzling ex-fiancé, who’d just escaped from jail. Only, they kept getting in each other’s way…. And this led to a whole lot of mayhem…and many, many moments under the mistletoe!
I hope you have as much fun watching Shane and Jodie fall in love as I did bringing them together.
Merry Christmas!
Cara Summers
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think. You can write to me at: P.O. Box 327, Dewitt, NY 13214.
To Heather Smith Hanlon, my new daughter-in-law. I always wanted a daughter, and I’m so lucky to finally have one as nice as you. Welcome to the family.
1
“I WANT TO BUY A GUN.”
Jodie Freemont barely kept herself from wincing at the blunt way she’d blurted out her request. But the moment she’d actually seen the gun lying in the display case, the little speech she’d been working on all morning had flown right out of her mind.
Glancing around, she saw that everyone in Hank Jefferson’s sporting goods store was staring at her, including the tall, handsome stranger testing a fishing pole. And Alicia Finnerty, Castleton’s number one gossip, had stopped chattering to him in mid sentence.
In the sudden silence the music pouring out of the radio behind the counter seemed to grow louder. “All I want for Christmas is…”
“That gun.” Jodie quickly pointed to the smallest pistol in the case before she could change her mind. “Could I hold it?”
“I can’t sell you a gun.” As if to emphasize his point, Hank moved forward and planted his hands, palms down, on the glass-topped counter.
Jodie peered between Hank’s thick fingers, trying to keep the gun she’d chosen in view. Visualize Your Goal. In her mind, she pictured yesterday’s motto of the day, one of many that her landlady Sophie Rutherford had been magnetizing to her refrigerator door over the past two months. She’d had plenty of time to practice her visualization skills last night while she’d listened to a prowler walk stealthily across the attic floor.
For