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HollyJacobsHolly Jacobs, Christmas in Cupid Falls

Christmas in
Cupid Falls

by Holly Jacobs
ISBN-13: 978-1477825037
Montlake Books, 10/21/14

 

Holly Jacobs

Kennedy Anderson loves Cupid Falls, Pennsylvania. Ever since moving there as an orphaned teenager, she’s worked hard to carve out a place for herself in the tight-knit community. Now she’s mayor and owner of the town’sflower shop. But she also has a big secret . . . and nine months to figure out how to break the news to the father.

Lawyer Malcolm Carter has always been the golden boy of Cupid Falls—until he discovers the one night he spent with the girl-next-door turned out to have a lifetime of consequences. Now, the mother of his child wants nothing to do with him, and he’s gone from someone who is admired to persona non grata as the town rallies behind its mayor.

Malcolm has always known what he wants. But now as Christmas approaches, he’ll have to find a way to show Kennedy that she could find the only thing she’s ever really wanted—a true home—with him. Convincing her will take the help of Cupid Falls’ quirky residents . . . and a bit of holiday magic.

 

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EXCERPT

Christmas in Cupid Falls
copyright, 2014
Holly Jacobs

Prologue

The Legend of Cupid Falls, Pennsylvania

To the south of Erie, Pennsylvania—south of the Great Lake that shares a name with the city—is Falls Creek. It is bigger than most creeks, but not quite large enough to be considered a river. It runs through field and forest to a ridge, carved millennia ago by a glacier. There, it plunges over the edge, falling to a hollowed-out swimming hole before becoming a creek again and meandering on its way.

Local legend has it that when George Washington visited the nearby town of Waterford in 1753, one of his retinue was touring the area. The locals took him to the falls, and there he met a farmer’s daughter. He married her later that same year and they settled near the creek. Years later, their daughter went to the falls with a group of friends and noticed that one of the boys in the group might be more than a friend. They married later that same year. And so it went, year after year, decade after decade, couple after couple, until the small waterfall, which in actuality was little more than a creek tumbling over a small cliff, became known as Cupid’s Falls.

When a town grew up a few miles away, the residents named it Cupid Falls as an homage to their waterfall.

And to this day, it is said, that when two people meet at the falls and declare their love, they are destined for a long, happy romance . . .

Even if that’s not what they went to the falls looking for.

Chapter One

“Arf, arf,” Clarence Harding barked as he entered Kennedy Anderson’s shop minutes after she’d opened for the day. He pulled off his thick knit cap and exposed an ice-grey head of hair. “Mornin’ Mayor.”

“Good morning, Clarence. And it’s Cupid’s Bowquet. Bo—long O. Bow, like bow and arrow—Cupid’s bow and arrow. It’s not bow, short O, like bowwow .”

For more than three decades, Kennedy’s aunt had owned the flower shop and it had been Betty’s Flowers. But Aunt Betty had been gone three years. This was Kennedy’s shop now, and she thought it was a great marketing strategy to play off the town’s name. Last year she’d realized that when you lived in Cupid Falls, Pennsylvania, Cupid’s Bowquet was a perfect name for a flower shop.

“It’s a dumb name, Mayor, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Kennedy did mind, but she was enough of a businesswoman not to say so. “What brings you in today, Clarence?”

“Seems I’ll be needing to send the old ball and chain some flowers. I got in late and ran over her new frog.”

Joan Harding collected frogs. Lots of frogs. They were everywhere inside and outside of her house. She even had some plastic bullfrogs she’d nailed into her giant maple tree and proudly told everyone they were tree frogs.

Clarence pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his heavy winter coat’s pocket. “’Course, I don’t know how she could tell I ran one over. I hid the pieces and there must be about a million frogs around now. Plus we’ve got all this snow . . .” He shrugged, as if figuring out the mystery of his wife was too much for him.

Clarence was a regular. It seemed he was always doing one thing or another to annoy Joan, but crushing a frog called for more than just some flowers. “It just so happens I might have something to get you out of the doghouse.”

Froghouse is how I put it,” he grumbled. “And I seem to be in it more than any man should be.”

Despite his less-than-endearing endearment ball and chain, Kennedy had seen Clarence and Joan together. She knew they fit. They worked. Clarence might get in trouble for running over frogs, but the Hardings were one of those couples that no one could imagine not being together.

She liked to think her small flower shop helped to keep them that way . . . together.

“One of the vendors I order from had these, and I thought of you when I ordered it.” Kennedy reached under the counter and pulled out a small box and slid it across the counter toward the elderly gentleman.

Clarence opened the lid and pulled out a frog planter. “Now, this is just the ticket. The perfect thing to get me out of trouble. You’ll stick some plant or something in it for her?”

“Definitely,” Kennedy assured him. Clarence was the kind of customer she liked to think of as job security. “Do you have anything in mind?”

He handed her the planter. “Whatever you want, Mayor. Bill me, okay?”

“Sure thing, Clarence. I’ll deliver it this afternoon.”

“Maybe I’ll be out of the froghouse before dinner then. See ya later, Mayor.”

The bell rang merrily as he left.

That was easy. Maybe she’d be lucky and the rest of the day would go that smoothly. Kennedy really, really needed an easy day.

She was in the back workroom transplanting a spider plant into the frog planter when the bell out front rang again. “Coming,” she called as she pulled off her gloves.

Kennedy didn’t groan when she saw May Williams scowling in her direction. She knew without a doubt that this wasn’t about flowers. May visited even more frequently than Clarence, but to the best of Kennedy’s knowledge, May had never ordered anything. No, flowers weren’t May’s reason for visiting. She was here to complain about something. May came in at least once a week to complain about something.

There was an actual mayor’s office at the Town Hall, the small brick building farther down Main Street—Cupid Falls’ small business district. Town Hall also housed the one-man police department, the one-man streets crew, and the volunteer fire department. It also had a big meeting room where town council met on a monthly basis. But Kennedy did 90 percent of the town’s business from right here in the shop. Being mayor of a small town had some advantages, and working from the flower shop was one of them.

She forced her best business smile. “Good morning, May. How are you today?”

“I’m lucky to be alive, Kennedy, and that’s the God’s honest truth of it. Jay Peterson hasn’t shoveled since yesterday’s snow, and his sidewalk is a hazard. I’m seventy-one years old, and when I walk in Cupid Falls, I don’t think it’s too much to expect a clear sidewalk.”

Kennedy didn’t think it was wise to point out the Jay Peterson was well past eighty himself. “You’re right, May, it’s not. I’ll give Jay a shout. I know he has someone who normally shovels for him. I’ll see if he can call them over now.”

“I’m heading down to the drugstore and I’ll expect it cleared before I walk home. Good day, Kennedy.” And with that, May flounced out of the store.

Kennedy called down to Jay’s, but no one answered his phone. She knew she could call the town’s street crew, which was a fancy name for Lamar. He took care of everything from patching roadways to plowing the streets in the winter. She didn’t call, though, because he was probably still out removing the last of the snow from Cupid Falls’ residential streets.

Jay’s house was one block over, so Kennedy, who’d campaigned with the slogan, The buck stops here, put on her ownoversize  parka and gloves, flipped the sign on the front door to “Back in a minute,”  and took her shovel down the street. Five minutes later, Jay’s sidewalk was clear. She was unlocking the front door of the store when she heard a car pull up behind her at the curb.

She turned, ready to call out a greeting to whomever it was. Cupid Falls was small enough that she knew everyone except the occasional out-of-towner.

The smile on her face evaporated as Malcolm Carter IV  got out of his black Pilot.

“Hi, Kennedy,” he called as if he’d seen her only last week. “Pap said you wanted to see me as soon as I got in town.”

“Wanted? That is not quite how I’d put it,” she clarified. “Needed to see you is closer.” She opened the door to the flower shop and said, “You might as well come in.”

Kennedy had known this particular conversation was inevitable, but that didn’t mean she was looking forward to it. As Malcolm came in, he seemed to fill the doorway. He was a big man. Almost six feet tall. But it wasn’t his height that made him stand out. He was simply dark-haired, chiseled-bone-structure, designer-suit-wearing perfection.

Well, not perfection.

No. She wouldn’t allow herself to think of Malcolm as perfect. She wouldn’t even allow herself to think of him as Mal anymore.

Mal was the boy next door.

Mal was the high school football hero.

Mal was the kid who she’d had a slight crush on once upon a time.

Malcolm was a self-assured, successful attorney. That was the man she had to deal with.

Like May—some people needed to be handled.

So Kennedy put on her best professional front and simply faced the problem head-on.

She didn’t flip the sign on the door back to Open  because she didn’t want any customers or constituents interrupting this particular talk.

“Why don’t you come in the back?” She didn’t wait for his reply. She simply turned and walked into the back room, which served as her office slash workroom. “Have a seat.” She pointed to one of the chairs in front of her desk.

Malcolm slipped off his coat before he sat down. “So?”

Kennedy didn’t know how to say the words even though she’d known she was going to have to tell him sooner or later. She’d actually thought it was going to be sooner. Much sooner. Malcolm was supposed to come into town months ago. But his visit with Pap kept getting pushed back.

And now she didn’t know what to say, how to tell him.

Well, she didn’t really need words.

She simply unzipped her parka and then slid it off. She watched Malcolm’s expression move from curiosity to shock.

“You’re going to be a father soon,” was all she said as she rested her hand on her ever-expanding baby bump.

 

Book, Reviews, Excerpt

From the book: Christmas in Cupid Falls
By: Holly Jacobs
Imprint and Series: Montlake Romance
Publication Date: 10/14
ISBN: 978-1477825037
Copyright © 2014
By: Amazon Publishing
 

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