Holiday Kisses

Holiday Kisses
Anna J. Stewart

His family's honour is at stake… And she holds the key Calliope Jones is the most vocal objector to Xander Costas and his design for the butterfly sanctuary that he hopes will save his family’s architectural firm. Can Calliope convince Xander to listen to his heart to see what the town – and he – really needs…

His family’s honor is at stake...

And she holds the key

Calliope Jones, Butterfly Harbor’s free-spirited organic farmer, is the most vocal objector to Xander Costas and his design for the butterfly sanctuary that he hopes will save his family’s architectural firm. Strangely, it’s Calliope who shows him what the town, and he, really need. Calliope makes Xander listen with his heart. And soon his heart may be telling him to stay with this extraordinary woman!

Bestselling author ANNA J. STEWART was the girl on the playground spinning in circles waiting for her Wonder Woman costume to appear or knotting her hair like Princess Leia. A Stephen King fan from early on, she can’t remember a time she wasn’t making up stories or had her nose stuck in a book. She currently writes sweet and spicy romances for Harlequin, spends her free time at the movies, at fan conventions or cooking and baking, and spends most every night wrangling her two kittens, Rosie and Sherlock, who love dive-bombing each other from the bed...and other places. Her house may never be the same.

Also by Anna J. Stewart (#ud344b41c-061a-5c7a-858d-48a4292e9f2b)

Return of the Blackwell Brothers

The Rancher’s Homecoming

Always the Hero

A Dad for Charlie

Recipe for Redemption

The Bad Boy of Butterfly Harbor

Christmas, Actually

“The Christmas Wish”

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).

Holiday Kisses

Anna J. Stewart

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ISBN: 978-1-474-09124-4

HOLIDAY KISSES

© 2019 Anna J. Stewart

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Calliope tilted her chin up to the sky and drew him into a circle of trees. “Here. Sit with me.”

She twined her fingers with his as she gazed up into the endless cascading branches and leaves.

“Look, Xander. Really look and tell me what you see.” Her words were a whisper in the breeze, but her face was alight with a happiness and peace he didn’t think he’d ever encountered before.

What did he see? He saw a woman who could have made a living as a muse, a reminder of what beauty and joy looked like.

“As flattered as I am, stop looking at me.” She leaned forward, and for a moment, he thought she might kiss him. Instead she pressed her finger beneath his chin and tilted his head up. “Now look.”

It took a moment for his eyes to focus, to see beyond the twining limbs and leaves and branches that had probably grown long before he’d ever heard of Butterfly Harbor.

“And listen.” Her whispered command sent a shiver down his spine.

Dear Reader (#ud344b41c-061a-5c7a-858d-48a4292e9f2b),

One of the most enjoyable parts of writing a series like Butterfly Harbor is getting to know all the people who live there. From the very first book, Calliope’s story was the one I most looked forward to. Quirky, eccentric, comforting, understanding and, well, to a lot of people, odd, Calliope Jones is Butterfly Harbor’s answer to Hallmark Channel’s The Good Witch. Always welcoming, Calliope knows exactly what to say in whatever situation she finds herself in. But that’s not to say she hasn’t had to face some serious life issues. Her past isn’t as stress-free as one might assume, and if there’s one thing she can’t abide, it’s a close-minded individual who thinks he knows everything about...well, everything. Which means I found the perfect hero for her with Xander Costas.

Xander arrives believing he knows what the town needs in a design for the new butterfly sanctuary: something quick and something that will help him get his family’s business back on track. But as often happens in this town, leaving isn’t as easy as he expects, especially when his work becomes entangled with Calliope. Which means his carefully mapped-out plans for the future are about to take a major detour.

There are some of those who might think Calliope’s name is familiar, and that’s on purpose. Once upon a time, back in the early ’80s, I used to watch Days of Our Lives, my grandmother’s top soap opera. Her favorite characters were Calliope and Eugene. Talk about quirky. They just made her smile. And that’s what Calliope’s goal is in life: to make everyone’s day a bit brighter and to make everyone, especially you, readers, smile.

Happy reading,

Anna

For you, Grandma.

And for all the readers who asked me

for Calliope’s story.

I hope you enjoy it.

Contents

Cover (#u97521b4e-cef1-5b18-a470-501e58557212)

Back Cover Text (#u2b338c62-70bf-5bd0-b743-13a3f5f08f70)

About the Author (#u0eba773f-6512-5bb1-9d49-f0591fd4066b)