Beyond the Mistletoe: A Christmas Romance (Beyond Love Book 7)

  KARICE BOLTON

  Copyright © 2015 Karice Bolton

  ISBN-10:0-9965402-3-7

  ISBN-13:978-0-9965402-3-0

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any printed or electronic form or stored in any unauthorized document retrieval

  system without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events either are the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Acknowledgments:

  I want to say a simple thank you to Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and all of the other avenues available to the indie publishing world. It allows the art of storytelling to continue to flourish in unexpected ways!

  Cover Art: iStock: ©Kiuikson Stock photo ID:57495156, iStock: ©Diane Labombarbe Stock photo ID:18576688, ©marilyna, Stock photo ID:44563896, Interior: Deposit Photo Vector ID: 55075191 ©Ann_art

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  BOOKS BY KARICE BOLTON

  ISLAND COUNTY SERIES

  (Beyond Love Crossover Series)

  FINDING LOVE IN FORGOTTEN COVE

  LOVE REDONE IN HIDDEN HARBOR

  TANGLED LOVE

  BEYOND LOVE SERIES

  BEYOND CONTROL

  BEYOND DOUBT

  BEYOND REASON

  BEYOND INTENT

  BEYOND CHANCE

  BEYOND PROMISE

  BEYOND the MISTLETOE

  LUKE FLETCHER SERIES

  HIDDEN SINS

  BURIED SINS

  REDEMPTION

  MIA – 2016

  THE WITCH AVENUE SERIES

  LONELY SOULS

  ALTERED SOULS

  RELEASED SOULS

  SHATTERED SOULS

  THE WATCHERS TRILOGY

  AWAKENING

  LEGIONS

  CATACLYSM

  TAKEN NOVELLA (A Watchers Prequel)

  WHISPER SERIES

  WHISPERS IN THE WOODS: THE CAMP

  WHISPERS ON CAMPUS: THE DORM

  AFTERWORLD SERIES

  RecruitZ

  AlibiZ

  UprisingZ–Coming Soon

  Dedication

  To my dad, who is also my guardian angel (and a mighty good one at that)! Thank you for instilling the ability to dream

  To my husband. You’re my world.

  To my mom. Thank you for always being the first reader of my stories.

  And to the amazing readers of the Beyond Love and Island County Series. You’ve made writing these characters an absolute dream, and I can’t say thank you enough for the kind messages. I’m looking forward to Love Redone in Hidden Harbor next, and hope you are too.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Finding Love in Forgotten Cove Excerpt

  Beyond Control Excerpt

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Christmas Eve

  Six Years Ago

  The Christmas music crooned in the background as I put the final touches on a watercolor painting I’d been working on. The door to my studio banged open with a thud and in strode my sexy husband of seven years. I couldn’t help but admire how attractive he was. Everything about him was neat and orderly. His blond hair was trimmed close against his head, and there wasn’t even a hint of a five o’clock shadow. His finely tailored suit hugged his extremely fit body. He liked order, which was the exact opposite of me. Maybe that was why we fit so well together. Who knew I’d fall for a straight-laced accountant? I smiled at him and felt the usual rush of love for Paul. My eyes dipped back down to my watercolor painting before I filled him in on our dinner plans. I didn’t want him to see the gift I’d been working on for him so I moved my water bowl slightly to the left.

  “The ham should be ready in twenty minutes or so. I put extra glaze on it, just how you like it.” I swirled the tip of my paintbrush in water and took in a deep breath of happiness. I adored everything to do with the holidays.

  “I don’t love you any longer.”

  My paintbrush fell out of my fingers as my gaze flashed to my husband’s. His stare was icy and determined.

  “What?” I whispered, certain I’d misunderstood.

  “You heard me,” he replied, completely detached and impatient.

  I glanced around the studio he’d built for me. The space was filled with Christmas decorations he’d hung to surprise me only a few weeks ago. A small tree stood in the corner with its blinking, white lights, and a nativity scene sat on the desk near the door. Garlands framed every window. I looked down at the watercolor painting I’d been working on, the painting that was going under the tree for him in the morning. The scene was based on last summer’s trip to Ireland, the rolling hills, and the couple in the distance admiring the rugged beauty of the landscape represented one of our many adventures together.

  Together.

  He didn’t like being together?

  No. This didn’t make sense.

  I didn’t understand.

  My gaze locked on his. “Is there someone else?”

  He shook his head. “No, Emily. There is no one else. But there is the thought of someone else someday.”

  His words were like knives viciously stabbing my soul. I never saw this coming. There was never a hint. This man—my husband of seven years—showered me with affection. He woke me up with chai lattes from Starbucks and breakfasts in bed. I’d surprise him with his favorite meals at dinnertime and weekend getaways. We were a happy couple. We’d dated since college and waited a sensible amount of time before getting married.

  And we were happy.

  Weren’t we?

  I slumped onto the stool behind me. My hands trembled as I stared at the man I no longer knew.

  “Paul, whatever you think the problem is, I know we can fix it. I thought you were happy. Is it your job? Do you want me to go back to work?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, Paul walked over to the stereo and turned off the Christmas music. He didn’t turn back around to face me as he slid his hands underneath his suit jacket and into the back pockets of his slacks. He let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

  As if even having this conversation was too much effort.

  “Don’t make this harder than it ne
eds to be. You always make things difficult.” Not even a hint of emotion straddled his voice as his words slapped me with every syllable.

  “I’m not trying to be difficult.” My voice trembled despite my best effort to sound in control. “I just don’t understand. I thought what we had was good, amazing actually. Usually, a person gets some sort of clue that there’s a problem. We don’t fight. You shower me with affection as I do with you. I love spending time with you, and I thought the feeling was mutual.” I licked my lips and forced myself to swallow. A lump in the back of my throat grew by the second, but I would not cry. I would get to the bottom of this. “I love you.”

  This was all a bad dream. He would come to his senses.

  I slid off the stool and wiped my hands over my smock that had been splashed and spotted with brilliant colors over the years. Taking in a deep breath, I untied it and tugged it off, walking to where he stood.

  “Paul, what’s going on?” I whispered, touching his shoulder lightly.

  He turned around slowly, and his gaze locked on mine His blue eyes that had once reflected genuine love for me, now canvased over my body as if he’d despised me for merely existing.

  “I haven’t loved you for a very long time.” Paul’s eyes fell from mine. “Not the way a man needs to love his partner.”

  The room got smaller by the minute. All four walls squeezed in on me. I couldn’t bear the weight of his words, but then things slowly started to click.

  Our prenuptial agreement.

  We’d made it to seven years this past November, which entitled him to one-quarter of my savings. The one caveat my attorney advised me against, but Paul insisted on. I was the one who came into our relationship with a substantial amount of money I’d socked away, but I never thought that factored into anything. We’d always lived somewhat frugally and money never seemed to be an issue. Apparently, I was wrong.

  My hand recoiled from his shoulder as if I’d been burned.

  And on many levels I had.

  Every part of me had been singed with deceit.

  Did he ever love me? Had everything been a lie? Was I the only one who’d been in love?

  “Our families are coming over tomorrow for Christmas. What do we tell them?” My words were only a whisper to the stranger in front of me.

  “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We’ll have a nice Christmas like we’d planned, and I’ll be out of the house by the end of the year. There’s no point in ruining anyone else’s holiday.”

  “Just mine. You wanted to make sure I knew before morning? Couldn’t you have waited?” The anger built at an unstoppable rate.

  “I’ve waited long enough.”

  He spun on his heels and walked out of the studio. Loneliness surged through my body, and bit-by-bit, the walls sprang up around my heart. If I was going to get through the next twenty-four hours, I needed to get good at pretending.

  And I became an expert.

  I never did shed a tear that night, not one. Granted in the days, weeks, and months to come, I shed more liquid sorrow than anyone ever should, but in that one bitter haze of confusion, all I felt was anger toward the man who played the biggest trick on me in my thirty-plus years of existence. The betrayal ran deep.

  He tricked me into believing he loved me.

  Chapter Two

  Present Day

  “I don’t know how I got so lucky. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and more.” I glanced at the gorgeous specimen sitting on the couch.

  His brown eyes caught the sun’s last bit of light before nightfall, and I couldn’t help myself as I chuckled aloud. He was just too cute, and he was all mine. Life had a way of turning around.

  “It’s not every single day someone comes across a partner who completes them in every possible way. Do you know how hard it has been to find someone who likes going on hikes, enjoys tasting all my experimental recipes, and not to mention, worships the ground I walk on? I’d almost given up hope, Bodie.”

  Bodie grunted, and my insides lit up with happiness. I smiled to myself and inhaled the sweetness from the last batch of cookies I’d pulled out of the oven.

  I knew perfection was unrealistic in relationships, but I felt we were teetering on the brink of it.

  Placing a few cookies on a plate, I walked over to the couch and took a seat next to him. His brown eyes took me in before falling to the gingerbread cookies, and I noticed just how long his dark lashes were. He greedily snatched up a cookie off the plate and finished it in an instant. Gazing at me for more, I nuzzled into his neck and gave in.

  Bing Crosby singing White Christmas played in the background, and I truly felt in my element. It might have taken six years, but maybe there was a glimmer of hope that I’d learn to love the holidays again.

  “My only complaint is that you drool during your sleep, and your whiskers are really pokey.” I scratched Bodie’s chin, and he sat up straighter, his eyes focused on the last gingerbread man. “But I know that’s not your fault.”

  My hands fell from Bodie’s chin, and he immediately pawed me for more pets and the last cookie.

  “Now if only I could bring you to Gabby’s wedding as my date, I’d be all set.”

  I glanced around my cozy family room and let out a sigh. I had a lot of decorating left to do. The Christmas tree was still at a slight tilt, but I was just thrilled I got the nine-foot tree anchored in the stand all by myself. As long as we didn’t have an earthquake, the tree should make it through the holidays without crushing Bodie or me. I still had our stockings to hang, and dancing Santas to arrange near the fireplace, but I was getting this place more ready for the season than it had been in years.

  The front door opened and a huge gust of icy wind funneled down the hallway as Gabby stepped inside and hollered a cheerful greeting.

  “Knock, knock,” Gabby sang out. “It’s freezing out there.”

  “Maybe I can convince Gabby tonight that you’re my plus one,” I whispered to Bodie. His tail wagged, and I was certain as long as he could have some cake, he’d be an excellent date.

  “Hopefully your wedding dress will be lined with fleece,” I teased, standing up from the couch. “I can’t believe how cold it’s been this fall.”

  Bodie looked at me longingly, and I scratched his ear before dashing off to take Gabby’s jacket.

  “I definitely need to thaw out.” She smiled and shivered.

  “Do you think it will actually snow?” I asked, giving Gabby a big hug before taking her jacket to hang up. The already packed closet made squeezing in another puffy jacket challenging but doable.

  “If not down here, it will definitely snow up by the lodge.” She grinned and took in a deep breath. “Do I smell gingerbread?”

  I nodded.

  Even though the girl owned a bakery, she could never get enough sweets, but who was I to talk? I worked at her bakery and still baked treats for Bodie and myself.

  “Would you like one?” I caught her eyeing the rack of gingerbread cookies.

  “Absolutely.”

  Gabby was not even two weeks away from walking down the aisle with Jason. They were a great couple, deeply in love, and their relationship was almost as perfect as mine was with Bodie. Their love was one of those that made a person realize that sometimes fate needed to step in and clobber someone upside the head a few times to steer a person in the right direction, and that’s exactly what happened to them both. Those two were stubborn to begin with, and now they were stubbornly in love. It made me realize what love in my life should have been. I’d settled and hadn’t even realized it.

  She helped herself to the cookies, and I poured us each a glass of milk before we took a seat at the breakfast bar. I dusted a few crumbs off the granite and grabbed her some paper napkins.

  “So, I’ve been meaning to tell you this, but we’ve been so busy at work I felt I needed to make the trek.” Her gaze avoided mine, which worried me.

  I lived on Hound Island, which only had four ferries a day, two in t
he morning and two in the evening. It made visits challenging and usually an overnight affair. But if whatever Gabby wanted to tell me required a trip to see me, I wasn’t looking forward to whatever was about to spill out of her mouth.

  “I don’t know how to put this,” she began.

  I bit the gingerbread man’s head off and stared at her. Gabby’s golden blond hair was in a thick braid and wispy strands framed her delicate features. Even after a long day running the bakery, she looked incredible. I, however, needed a date with my red hair dye to revive the dull color. I was born a brunette, but since my divorce I enjoyed being a redhead because my ex-husband hated the look.

  She took a sip of milk, buying herself more time.

  “Just say what you have to say. Is it the bakery? My job?”

  Gabby shook her head and looked somewhat relieved by my guesses. “Not at all. The bakery is growing at an unbelievably great pace, and I can’t imagine not having you there.”

  “Then spit it out.” I let out the breath I’d been holding in.

  “You know how we’re having our bachelor/bachelorette party up at the lodge the weekend before the wedding?”

  I nodded. “Do you need me to stay at the bakery after all?”

  Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind staying home one bit. Weddings and holidays weren’t exactly my favorite things on earth. I was still in the baby-step stages of both. I did my best to fill my life with the joy of the season, but it was a feeble attempt at best. And weddings… Don’t even get me started.

  “No. Not at all. The bakery is covered. I’d be traumatized for months if you didn’t come.”

  My heart sank slightly.

  “Then what’s up?”

  “Lily has a friend who she thinks would be perfect for you.” Gabby bit her lip and waited.