Late on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I find Natalie in our room, standing at the window, watching the snow that shows no sign of slowing down. I slip an arm around her from behind, resting my chin on top of her head. “How do you feel about Christmas in Saint George, Utah?”
“As long as you’re in Saint George, it’s fine by me.”
“This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to give you a magical Christmas.”
“Maybe not, but it’s still magical. I don’t need a big fancy house in Aspen to be happy when I have you and Fluff and my best friends. I wish my sisters were here, but we’ll see them in a day or two when the weather clears.”
I think about the women I knew before her, including the one I was married to. None of them would’ve found magic at the Castaway Inn in Saint George, Utah, especially when they’d been promised a movie star’s home in Aspen. That Natalie can find the magic no matter where we are or what we’re doing is one of many things that make her the love of my life.
“In case I’ve failed to mention it today, I love you, Mrs. Godfrey.”
“Love you, too, Mr. Godfrey.” She looks back at me over her shoulder. “Can we come back here for Christmas every year?”
Smiling, I flatten my hand over the baby bump. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“How fun would it be to come back here year after year and recreate this first Christmas together?”
“It would be fun.”
“How long do you think it’ll take before we need all the rooms?”
We’ve rented ten of the Castaway’s seventeen rooms. “A year? Maybe two?”
She laughs. “If it takes that long.”
Last Christmas, I thought the biggest thing that might happen in the new year was my first acting Oscar. Funny how that turned out to be the least of what happened. With my arms around my wife and my hands curled around our unborn child, I’m content in a way I’ve never been before—and it’s all because of Natalie. She’s the key to everything.
Best. Christmas. Ever.
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Other Books By Marie Force
Love Always Boxed Set, First Books in Four of Marie’s Bestselling Series
Contemporary Romances Available from Marie Force
The Quantum Series
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Book 1: Virtuous
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Book 2: Valorous
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Book 3: Victorious
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Book 4: Rapturous
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Book 8: Famous
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Tame Quantum Series
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Box Set 1, Books 1-3
Box Set 2, Books 4-6
The Gansett Island Series
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Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 7-9
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 10-12
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 13-16
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-10.5
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16
Book 1: Maid for Love
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Book 2: Fool for Love
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Book 3: Ready for Love
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Book 4: Falling for Love
(Grant & Stephanie)
Book 5: Hoping for Love
(Evan & Grace)
Book 6: Season for Love
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Book 7: Longing for Love
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Book 8: Waiting for Love
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Book 9: Time for Love
(David & Daisy)
Book 10: Meant for Love
(Jenny & Alex)
Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie)
Book 11: Gansett After Dark
(Owen & Laura)
Book 12: Kisses After Dark
(Shane & Katie)
Book 13: Love After Dark
(Paul & Hope)
Book 14: Celebration After Dark
(Big Mac & Linda)
Book 15: Desire After Dark
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Book 16: Light After Dark
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Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2)
A Gansett Island Christmas Novella
Book 19: Mine After Dark
(Riley & Nikki)
Book 20: Yours After Dark
(Finn & Chloe)
Book 21: Trouble After Dark
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The Green Mountain Series
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Book 1: All You Need Is Love
(Will & Cameron)
Book 2: I Want to Hold Your Hand
(Nolan & Hannah)
Book 3: I Saw Her Standing There
(Colton & Lucy)
Book 4: And I Love Her
(Hunter & Megan)
Novella: You'll Be Mine
(Will & Cam’s Wedding)
Book 5: It's Only Love
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Book 6: Ain’t She Sweet
(Tyler & Charlotte)
The Butler, Vermont Series
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Book 1: Every Little Thing
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Book 2: Can’t Buy Me Love
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Book 3: Here Comes the Sun
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Book 4: Till There Was You
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The Treading Water Series
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Book 1: Treading Water
Book 2: Marking Time
Book 3: Starting Over
Book 4: Coming Home
Single Titles
Five Years Gone
One Year Home
Sex Machine
Sex God
Georgia on My Mind
True North
The Fall
Everyone Loves a Hero
Love at First Flight
Line of Scrimmage
Romantic Suspense Novels Available from Marie Force
The Fatal Series
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One Night With You, A Fatal Series Prequel Novella
Book 1: Fatal Affair
Book 2: Fatal Justice
Book 3: Fatal Consequences
Book 3.5: Fatal Destiny The Wedding Novella
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Book 5: Fatal Deception
Book 6: Fatal Mistake
Book 7: Fatal Jeopardy
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Book 9: Fatal Frenzy
Book 10: Fatal Identity
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About the Author
Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, historical romance and erotic romance. Her series include the indie-published Gansett
Island, Treading Water, Butler, Vermont and Quantum Series as well as the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books.
Her books have sold more than 9 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list 30 times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Speigel bestseller in Germany, a frequent speaker and publishing workshop presenter.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Join Marie's mailing list for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook and on Instagram. Join one of Marie's many reader groups. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.