SYNOPSIS

From USA TODAY Bestselling Author Dorothy Dreyer, comes a beautiful story about the magic of Christmas, the strength of family and friends, and falling in love when you least expect it—all with the help of a team of Alaskan Malamutes. This gorgeous, feel-good Christmas treat is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Jenny Hale, and Sheila Roberts.

Holly St. Ives is in a rut. Once a celebrated artist making waves in New York City, she finds herself uninspired and unmotivated. Her recent break-up is the last push she needs to spend Christmas alone in the small mountain cabin her father left her in his will—a family getaway she hasn’t visited in years.

After a near accident in Silverwood, she meets Nick Mason, whom she learns is responsible for everything in the small town running like clockwork—including the upcoming Christmas festival and the town’s entry in the state-wide tree decorating contest. Holly doesn’t have time for Nick’s beguiling charm or mouth-watering holiday cupcakes, but after meeting his father, she discovers there’s more to the town’s obsession with the contest than meets the eye.

Touched by the prospect that the whole town is willing to pitch in for a good cause, Holly feels her Christmas spirit making a comeback. As Nick and his team of Alaskan Malamutes work their way into her heart, Holly may just remember the meaning of the season after all.

Holly flinched as bits of snow sprayed up onto her coat. “Oh, excuse me! Maybe you should teach your pure-bred not to chase squirrels across the road. What’s he got against squirrels anyway? You’d think a dog named Cupid would have a heart for the poor creatures. What kind of saint is that?”

Cupid proceeded to sit in the snow again, raising its paw. Did the dog want to shake hands or something? She could have sworn it winked at her.

The man let out a small laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Holly asked.

“First of all, I think Cupid’s trying to offer his apologies. Secondly, I think you’re thinking of the mythological god of love and attraction. There is no Saint Cupid. And third, he was actually named after the reindeer. You know, from the Rudolph song?”

Holly scoffed and shrugged.

The man rubbed at his bearded jaw. She’d been too worked up to notice, but now he’d drawn attention to his face. Underneath his wool bomber hat, the man actually had attractive features. Strong cheekbones, square jaw, and blue eyes that made her think of summer—wait, what was she doing?

“Whatever,” was all she could think of to say as she fought off a blush. “Just get your dog out of the road.”

“Look, sorry for the trouble. Do you need any help with your car? I’ve got some tow straps in the truck if you need help getting out of that snowbank.”

Holly pursed her lips. “No, thanks. I can manage.” She turned to head back to her car but then stopped suddenly. Letting out a frustrated breath, she swung back around to face him. “Can you tell me if this road leads to Silverwood?”

“Oh, you’re headed to Silverwood?”

Holly narrowed her eyes at him. “Yeah.”

The man smiled. “Yep, it sure does. Just keep following the road about twenty miles down and you’ll see the sign.”

Holly nodded her head once. “Thank you.”

“The name’s Nick, by the way.” He said when she was almost at her car door.

She lifted her hand but didn’t look back at him. She wasn’t sure why she was being so impolite to this handsome stranger. At the sound of a bark, she flinched, but refused to turn around. Was she crazy to think the dog was barking goodbye to her, wishing her a pleasant journey? Yeah, that was crazy.

Once she was in her car, she closed the door and turned the ignition key. After shifting into reverse, she pushed on the gas, but the car wouldn’t budge. The engine simply revved without the car going anywhere.

“No, no, no.” She didn’t really want to have to ask Nick for help. She’d already felt like she made a fool of herself by being so rude to him. Glancing down, she realized she’d forgotten to disengage the handbrake.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she sheepishly glanced in her rearview mirror at Nick to see if he noticed. Nick stood where he had been, smirking with his hands in his coat pockets.

Cheeks burning, she expelled a huff of exasperation and drove off.

Once she was safely down the road, she let her shoulders sag and her head fall back against the headrest. Checking her rearview mirror, she caught Nick patting Cupid on the head before heading back to his truck. She shook her head, finding the encounter incredulous. Still, the man had been polite and didn’t fight back with her, even though she knew she was the one being inexplicably rude. No, Nick had been a gentleman.

Nick, she thought. That’s a nice name.

Copyright © 2021 by Dorothy Dreyer