Ghost of a Chance

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In this sweet novella from the “Love in Little Tree” series, a new girl in town brings a little spirit to Paul’s life.

Mariah’s  gap year before college included a move to Montana, but she isn’t sure  there’s anything for her in horse country…until she meets Paul working  at the haunted house fundraiser. Her attraction to him is immediate. As a  sensitive, she’s compelled to discover if there’s an actual spirit in  residence, but she’ll have to hurry, since the shack will be torn down  after Halloween. Will Paul help her or think she’s bananas?

Spending  time together is more than fine with Paul. He might be skeptical about  the supernatural, but he wouldn’t be surprised to learn Mariah put a  spell on him. He was drawn to her from the first moment.

After  being a wild teen, Paul’s looking for a fresh start, and he’d like to  include Mariah in that future. But a rival for Mariah’s attentions is  out to cause trouble.

Will Mariah’s first love last forever or will the ghosts of Paul’s past tear them apart? 

 Rachel wants a baby. Clint offers his help. It's that simple...and that complicated.

Returning  to Little Tree, Clint Walker had only planned to serve as the best man  in his brother's wedding. He never expected to be the best man for  Rachel Marshall, at least for the weekend. The bride's cousin is pretty  and fun, and their chemistry is undeniable.

Rachel yearns for a  baby, but she hasn't met the man she wants to marry. Since her father  and step-father both left the family when she was a child, Rachel knows  men aren’t likely to stick around anyway. She’s determined to have a  baby, so she’ll just do this on her own.

When he learns of  Rachel's plans to undergo artificial insemination, Clint volunteers to  donate, hoping to ease a lingering guilt from his past. But as feelings  build between them, Clint faces an uncertain future, knowing fatherhood  is more than providing little X's and Y's — especially donated the  old-fashioned way.

Can he convince Rachel he’s the kind to stick around?  is a good place to show off who’s occupying the corner offices. Write a nice bio about each executive that includes what they do, how long they’ve been at it, and what got them to where they are.

 A RUNAWAY BRIDE

Grace Marshall fled the church moments before her  wedding, leaving her twin sister buttoned into the wedding dress. A  risky move for a good reason, and now she has to deal with the fallout.  She expects the town and her family to be angry, but not this cowboy she  just met. Who is he to judge?

WITH SECRETS TO HIDE

Horse  trainer Mike Torres Thompson fabricated new identities for his siblings  in order to keep them together after their parents died. Different  location, different names, different lives. Once these last two kids are  on their feet—and those feet moving out his door, he can pursue his own  dream of a ranch for abused horses. Then he meets Grace, and all his  carefully-formed plans run away like a mustang.

Neither denies  their physical attraction, but love? Can the runaway bride and the  responsible family man overcome their pasts and learn to trust? Will  they be able to take a leap of faith toward a future together?

 LEFT IN THE LURCH…
Rancher Jack Walker eagerly anticipates marrying  the quiet, lovely artist who has agreed to be his wife and stepmother to  his six-year-old daughter.  Their union will mirror the peace and  security of his previous marriage.

AT THE CHURCH
Veterinarian  Lexi Marshall is tricked into her twin sister's wedding dress minutes  before the bride disappears out the back door.  Now Lexi must tell Jack  there is no wedding.  But instead of "guess what?" she says, "I do?"

ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED
Covering  for her sister by marrying Jack is a big mistake.  But even Lexi’s  confession can't untangle the mess after she learns he could lose his  ranch if they divorce.  

Legal problems aside, how will they handle the attraction simmering between them? 

 Holly MacDonald rushes to the town she left as a child to prevent her  friend from marrying an unfaithful groom.  Her old buddy, Luke Ivey, is  the best man and intends to stop her interference. 

She's no longer his  tomboy pal, and he's no longer her nerdy sidekick. They fall for each  other despite their different views on the wedding and living four hours  apart. She's a city girl and he's pure country.

When "The Wedding March" fades and Christmas is over, will they stay together? 

"Santa, My friends say you're just a story, like my dad."

Trish's  heart aches when she reads the note from her five-year-old son. She  needs a man, but only to play Santa for Tyler. Widowed several years  earlier, she's not quite over the scars left by her dishonest husband. She isn't looking for a relationship, although having someone to rely on  is tempting. So is Sam, but she's not going to fall for an unambitious  man. Not again.

Sam doesn't want a relationship, either. Recently  burned by his ex, who had her eye on the top of the corporate ladder,  he's willing to let Trish think he's poor and out of work to keep her at  arm's length. When she and her son invade his heart, there's this  little misunderstanding in the way. He has to win her over, but can he  help her bury the past?

Trish's former mother-in-law isn't making  things easy, either. Her friend was recently granted custody of her  granddaughter, and Miriam thinks raising Tyler is an ideal way to  reinvent the past. She just has to oust Trish from the picture.

When things look their gloomiest, it doesn't hurt to have Santa on your side. 

 Chris Brandt limps home from the Army, less than thrilled with his future, until he meets Julie Palmer. But he’s done too much and seen even worse, and won’t get involved with the local bakery owner. 

Will the  magic of Valentine’s Day persuade him to give love a chance?

Originally published in A Delicious Dessert anthology.