Julia Read online

  “This is going to be the best Christmas ever,” Liam said softly. “Because you’re here and I still can’t believe my luck. I know I’ve said this before, but I can’t thank you enough for sticking with me, for believing in me and loving me. I know it hasn’t always been easy.” He reached his arm behind her and gave her a shoulder a squeeze.

  “I really owe Emma for insisting that I come out here. She said she knew that we’d be a good match. She was right.” She leaned toward him and brushed her lips against his. She wanted to deepen the kiss, but knew the door could fly open any moment, so she pulled back instead. “You know, I have another friend, Colleen, who might be persuaded to take a trip out here. Do you think Paul or David might be ready to think about marriage?” They were the two that came to mind as being possible suitors for Colleen, given their ages and personalities.

  “I can’t think of why they wouldn’t be interested. Today’s the perfect time to ask them.”

  “That’s what I was thinking, too.”

  There was a knock at the door then, and for the next thirty minutes, his family arrived. It was a casual, lively afternoon and the atmosphere was festive.

  “We have an announcement,” Liam’s brother Joshua said once everyone had been seated for dinner. We’re in the family way.” He looked thrilled at the news and his wife Hannah was beaming, too. Congratulations broke out and everyone lifted their glasses in a toast.

  “You didn’t tell me!” Julia said to Emma, who was sitting across from her. Emma laughed.

  “I only just found out two days ago, and Ethan swore me to secrecy. He said Joshua wanted to tell everyone at once.”

  Hannah overheard that and chimed in, “That’s right, and it’s the best Christmas present ever.”

  “That will be us soon,” Liam whispered, and Julia nodded. She had a feeling it might be sooner than he expected. She had no reason to suspect that as it had only been a few weeks for them, but it was just a funny sense that she had. It would be interesting to see if she was right. If not, she knew it would happen for her when it was meant to happen.

  “What’s the latest update on that Rusty fellow?” Liam’s father asked.

  “He’s still sitting in the county jail. The sheriff stopped by yesterday, though, to let me know it looked like Rusty would probably be locked up for a long time, as they were charging him with attempted murder and arson. He also said that Rascal’s Saloon might come up for auction. It’s been shut down since Rusty was arrested.”

  “Has any of that business come your way?” Ethan asked.

  “Quite a bit of it, actually. More than I expected. I’m seriously considering making a bid for the saloon and expanding, possibly converting some of the upstairs rooms and renting them out like a hotel.”

  “Can you afford to do that?” his mother asked.

  “My accountant, Julia, says I can and that it would probably be a good investment.”

  Julia smiled at him and then addressed his mother. “His numbers look very good. The business has been steadily growing and we’ve seen a surge since Rascal’s closed. There’s definitely a need that isn’t being met.”

  “An unmet need equals opportunity. Sounds like a smart move to me,” Liam’s father said as he added more beer to his mug.

  ###

  After dinner, Julia set out the Torrone on a large platter and made another big pot of coffee for anyone who was interested. Emma had brought both an apple and a pumpkin pie, and after making sure everyone was set with coffee and dessert, Julia poured herself a cup, picked up a large piece of the Torrone and went to talk to Liam’s brothers. She found them both on the sofa, near the Christmas tree, arguing over which pie was better. Paul had the apple and David was eating pumpkin.

  Julia pulled up a chair next to them and said, “I need to ask you both something.”

  They looked at her warily and she laughed. “It’s nothing bad, I promise.”

  They waited for her to speak and she dove right in. “Are either of you interested in meeting someone and possibly getting married?”

  They both nodded and David said, “Well, of course, but it would depend on who it was.”

  “Okay, so you’re open to it. That’s good to know. I have a friend from Boston, Colleen. She’s about my age, a little taller and curvier, with hair that’s so dark it’s almost black and fair skin. She’s Irish, what they call Black Irish, actually, because of her coloring.”

  “What does she do in Boston? Why would she want to come out here?” Paul asked.

  “She’s very talented. She works as a dress-maker’s assistant and can make the loveliest clothes you’ve ever seen. She’s also very kind and nurturing. I think she might be ready for a change.” She told them about Frank then and his terrible mistake. Both Paul and David looked furious on Colleen’s behalf, which Julia took as a good sign.

  “Well, she certainly wouldn’t have to worry about that kind of behavior with us,” Paul said, and David nodded in agreement.

  “Okay, then. Maybe I’ll suggest that she do what I did. Come for a visit, meet you both and see if there’s a connection with either of you.

  “What if we both like her?” Paul looked concerned and Julia bit her bottom lip. That hadn’t really occurred to her.

  “I’m not worried about it,” David said confidently. “May the best man win.”

  Paul chuckled at that. “Okay, fine. We’ll see what happens.”

  “You know there were a lot of us that are still in touch from the orphanage. Once Colleen comes out, maybe others will want to come, too.”

  “When is she coming?” David asked.

  “I’m not actually sure she is. I just wanted to see if you’d be interested in meeting her if she does come. I’ll write to her first thing on Monday.”

  ###

  Later that evening, after the last of the family had left for the night and the house was quiet, Liam made his special tea and joined Julia, who was already curled up on the sofa, staring at the Christmas tree.

  “I hate to blow out those candles. It looks so pretty.” She was mesmerized by the lights.

  “Well, it’s either that or risk the house burning down,” Liam chuckled.

  “Oh, I know. I just wish I could bottle this moment, it’s just so perfect and I’m so happy.”

  Liam leaned over and kissed her, then pulled back and looked into her eyes.

  “We will have many years of happy moments ahead. I can’t wait to share them all with you.”

  Julia sighed with contentment. “Me, too. Merry Christmas, Mr. Donovan. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mrs. Donovan.” Liam kissed her again and then whispered in her ear, “Merry Christmas!”

  ~The End~

  If you’d like to receive my new release alerts, special promos, and more, please sign up for my mailing list. Be the first to know when new releases are available, and get them at a special discount—it’s my thank you for my loyal readers and a benefit of being on the list!

  http://bit.ly/AshleyMerrick

  Stay tuned for Colleen’s story~coming very soon!

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN