When she wrote to Santa as a child, she didn’t know her wishes would come true years later…

Holly Berry is spending her first Christmas without her grandmother, who had raised her. It’s difficult, but she’s getting through it. Then, unexpectedly, she’s asked to foster a puppy. Feeling out of her depth, she turns to her childhood friend, who offers to give her some guidance.

Veterinarian Colin Bishop has given up on relationships after his busy practice keeps interfering in his private life. But when the girl next-door needs some help, he’s more than willing to make room in his busy schedule. But he knows not to fall for her infectious laugh or dazzling smile because his patients will always come first.

Holly never thought the wishes she wrote on her Christmas list as a kid would come true, but unexpectedly ghosts from Christmas past have come to visit. Will Colin be able to bring the joy back to her holiday? Or will those ghosts ruin everything?

HEAT LEVEL: Clean & Wholesome

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

This would be her first Christmas alone.
It was just after lunch as Holly Berry stood in the storage room of the Kringle Soap Co. She opened a box of handmade snowmen-shaped soaps. She’d made them using one of her grandmother’s recipes that included things like coconut for the white ones, merlot for the red onces, and basil for the green ones.
Each year the store had a particularly popular item. This year it was the snowmen soaps and the bath bombs. And now she was running low on those items. Thankfully, business had been brisk this holiday season.
Even though there was a light snow falling outside, it was cozy in the shop. It wasn’t just the warmth coming from the furnace; it was the warmth of friendship that flowed through not only her shop but throughout all of Kringle Falls.
The big difference this year was that Holly’s grandmother wasn’t there with her. The Kringle Soap Co. was her great-grandmother’s creation. The shop had been in business for more than a hundred years. And now her grandmother had entrusted it to Holly to keep it going.
It wasn’t until her grandmother had died that Holly realized just how much her eighty-one-year-old grandmother had done. The woman had been amazing, working straight up until the end. And now Holly couldn’t let her down. She had to keep this place up and running.
“Holly.” Her name was being called from the front of the shop.
“Just a second.” She placed the box of soaps on the worktable. She would deal with them later.
When Holly stepped out of the back room, she found Merry Kringle standing in the middle of the store. Maybe she was there to pick out a gift basket for someone. Premade baskets with some extras such as bubble bath balls, loofahs, and some other whimsical items were new that year. Her grandmother had vetoed the idea in the past, but Holly knew with business in decline that she had to do something to boost the bottom line. And so far, the baskets were selling well.
“Hi.” Holly sent her a smile. “Can I help you find something?”
Merry glanced at the soaps. “I’ve always loved this place.” She made a show of inhaling one of the merlot soaps. “This whole shop smells heavenly.”
Holly spent so much time in the shop she didn’t really notice the scents. She stopped and made a point of inhaling deeply. “I never really take the time to notice anymore.” She inhaled again. “To me, it still smells like it did when my grandmother was here.”
Merry nodded. “She would be so proud of you.”
Holly hoped Merry was right. She had more ideas about changing the shop, but she wasn’t ready to do anything so drastic just yet.
“Anyway…” Merry sent her a warm smile. “I’m really sorry to disturb you.”
Holly glanced around at the couple of customers that had just entered the store. “You’re not. What do you need?”
“I hate to ask this of you…” Merry glanced down.