The Christmas Secret

The Christmas Secret
Lee McKenzie

A Christmas Present With A Hidden PastAJ Harris needs to leave town, before his past sneaks up on him in the form of a tool-belt–wearing beauty who also happens to be the mother of his child. Fate has other plans when AJ inadvertently hires Samantha Elliott to renovate and sell his grandmother’s old house. Now he has to hide the truth—he secretly adopted the child Sam abandoned three years ago. Only, AJ can’t prevent the bond between mother and child.When he learns the selfless reasons behind Sam’s actions, including his own father’s deceit, AJ’s secret becomes a burden he can’t keep. But will Sam forgive him for having their son all this time? Or will one little boy’s love bring together a family…just in time for Christmas?

“Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s fine. That’ll be fun. The birthday, I mean. Um …” Sam had to know. “When is it?”

“December fifteenth.”

Sam struggled to stay calm, even though the date knocked the breath out of her. Of all the bizarre coincidences, William and her son—both of AJ’s sons—were born on the same day. There was no longer any doubt that he’d been sleeping with her and William’s mother at the same time. Still, for his wife to have a baby on the same day she did … it was crazy.

What if …?

You’re the one who’s crazy. There’s no way William is your son.

Unless … had AJ found out she was pregnant?

Snippets of recent events flashed through her mind. AJ had been reluctant to take them into the kitchen that first day, when Will was out in the yard. He was awkward and edgy when she and Will were in the same room together. Was it because he felt guilty for cheating on his wife? Or was it something even more underhanded?

Dear Reader,

The Christmas Secret combines all of my favorite things in one story—a woman with an untraditional career, a single dad, a secret baby, a puppy and, of course, Christmas! The real inspiration for this book, though, was my love of home-and-garden shows on television. DIY, home decorating, real estate—I love them all! So I thought, why not combine them into one business? Ready Set Sold is that business and it’s owned by three women—a carpenter, an interior decorator and a real-estate agent.

When Andrew “AJ” Harris hires Ready Set Sold to sell the house he inherited from his grandmother, he is unexpectedly reunited with Samantha Elliott, the only woman he’s ever loved, the woman he’s never been able to forget and the woman whose betrayal he can never forgive.

Sam has been keeping a secret and she’s sure that if AJ ever finds out, he’ll never forgive her. What she doesn’t know is that AJ has a secret, too, and now that Sam is temporarily back in his life, keeping that secret from her becomes all-important, not just for his sake but for their son’s.

I hope you enjoy Sam and AJ’s journey as they discover that once all the secrets are out in the open, love and forgiveness go hand in hand. I love to hear from readers, so I also hope you’ll visit me at my website, www.leemckenzie.com.

Happy holidays!

Lee McKenzie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

From the time she was ten years old and read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women,LEE MCKENZIE knew she wanted to be a writer, just like Anne and Jo. In the intervening years, she has written everything from advertising copy to an honors thesis in paleontology, but becoming a four-time Golden Heart finalist and a Harlequin author are among her proudest accomplishments. Lee and her artist/teacher husband live on an island along Canada’s west coast, and she loves to spend time with two of her best friends—her grown-up children.

Books by Lee McKenzie

AMERICAN ROMANCE 1167—THE MAN FOR MAGGIE 1192—WITH THIS RING 1316—FIREFIGHTER DADDY 1340—THE WEDDING BARGAIN

The Christmas Secret

Lee McKenzie

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

For Joe

Chapter One

Grandmother Harris’s backyard was a perfect place for a little boy and his dog to play. AJ Harris walked out onto the deck, coffee in hand, in time to see his son romp across the lawn with their chocolate-colored Labradoodle puppy in hot pursuit, both under the watchful eye of his nanny, Annie Dobson. He left the door ajar so he could hear the doorbell when it rang and went down the steps to join them.

“Taking a break, Mr. Harris?” Annie asked. She was sitting in one of the old Adirondacks that had been in this yard for as long as he could remember, steam rising from her teacup into the cool morning air.

“That’s one of the best things about working at home. I can take a break whenever I want.” The best part, though, was being his own boss instead of one of his father’s employees.

“Daddy! I playing with Hawshey!”

“I am playing with Hershey,” he said.

“Sam-I-am!” His son shouted the name from his favorite book, then stopped running and flung himself on the grass, laughing and shrieking when the puppy pounced on him.

“William! Don’t let that creature lick your face.” Annie’s reprimand was firm but gentle. “You’ve seen what else he licks. For goodness’ sake, think of the germs!”

AJ sat in the chair next to hers and set his cup on the arm. The boy and his dog were up and running again and the sound of Will’s laughter lightened AJ’s mood in a way nothing else could.

“I appreciate you bringing them out here to play,” he said. “I would have taken them to the park like I usually do, but the real estate people will be here any minute.”

“A little fresh air never hurt an old lady like me, either, and it’s a nice day for late November.” Annie sipped her tea. “I’ll miss this old place.”

So would he. His earliest and certainly happiest memories were of times spent here. He hated having to sell the house, but it was the best option. Hell, it was his only option. Grandmother Harris was gone, his only other family ties in Seattle were his parents, and they hadn’t spoken to him since the day he’d brought his son home from the hospital. And for the past three years he’d felt as though he was holding his breath and hoping his past didn’t catch up to him.

He was looking forward to a fresh start, and for that he needed the money from this inheritance. He and his son would build a new life in Idaho, in a community where being “a Harris” meant nothing. Where there was no possibility of running into his family, and no possibility of a chance encounter with the woman who had selfishly abandoned their son.

His main reason for leaving the city, though, was William. The little boy had recently taken an interest in mothers from a story they’d read. In a few years he would start asking about his mother, maybe even wanting to see her. Best to leave now, before Will was old enough to wonder about the woman who had brought him into the world, before his early childhood in Seattle became fixed in his memory. When he finally did ask, AJ had no idea what he would tell him, but that day was a long way off. At least he hoped it was. He swore it would be the only time he would ever lie to his son, but he would have to. No child needed to know that his own mother hadn’t wanted him.

He and Will would miss Annie Dobson, too, but she had no desire to move to a cabin on the outskirts of a small town in Idaho, and who could blame her? Besides, it was probably time she thought about retirement.

The doorbell’s four chimes, one slightly off-key, pulled his attention back to the present.

“I’ll keep young William and the puppy out here so they’re not underfoot,” Annie said.

“Thanks. I appreciate that. When this meeting is over, I’ll take them off your hands for a while.”

This real estate company had been referred to him by a magazine editor who’d bought a couple of freelance articles from him last month. He’d met with a Ms. DeAngelo earlier in the week, had been impressed with her businesslike efficiency and had signed the contract and hired her on the spot. This morning she was bringing her “team of professionals” from Ready Set Sold to inspect the house. His grandmother’s century-old craftsman home was situated in Seattle’s fashionable Queen Anne neighborhood overlooking Lake Union, but after years of neglect that’s all it had going for it. Ms. DeAngelo—he couldn’t remember her first name—had assured him her company would make the necessary upgrades and repairs, and “stage the house for today’s market.” They would even help him figure out what to do with his grandmother’s personal belongings.

Inside the kitchen, he closed the creaky French doors and walked through the dining room and living room, past many decades’ worth of furniture and bric-a-brac—some antique and some not so antique—and into the foyer. He opened the door and slammed headlong into his past.

Samantha Elliott, Will’s mother, the one woman whose betrayal he would never forget, or forgive, stood on the veranda. A multitude of emotions tore through him. Resentment, distrust, disgust, but in the end fear won out. The deadweight of it actually squeezed the air out of his lungs. For the past three years he’d lived under a dark cloud, determined to keep his secret. Why, when he was so close to escaping Seattle and his past, did some Machiavellian twist of fate have to deliver up the one person who had the power to take it all away?

“AJ?” The surprise in her voice matched his. She stepped back, checked the numbers above the door and consulted the clipboard she was carrying.

Was it possible she was at the wrong house? That perhaps the Fates were merely playing a devious practical joke?

“Sam.” He immediately regretted saying her name out loud. It made her being there a reality when he desperately wanted it to be a trick of his imagination. “What do you want?” He hated to ask but had to know.

She handed him a business card.