A Little Bit of Holiday Magic. Melissa McClone

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      A new family…for Christmas?

      All widow Grace Wilcox wants is a fresh start for her and her young son, Liam. When her truck spins off the icy road, her rescuer turns out to be the hottest firefighter in Hood Hamlet, and even wary Grace can’t say no to his offer of help!

      Bill Paulson has stuck to his no-dating rule so far this Christmas, but having Grace in his home is testing his chivalrous side to the limit! Her little boy is melting his heart, even asking for a new daddy from Santa.…

      But Grace has already loved and lost one hero. Can she really let herself get close to another?

      “Maybe Christmas magic brought you to Hood Hamlet last night.”

      “Maybe.” She spoke with a wistful expression on her face. “Or maybe it was an angel.”

      “Christmas is a time for miracles, but I haven’t had much experience with angels except the snow kind,” Bill said. “I’ll stick with magic.”

      “You do that.” She glanced at Liam. “I’m going to stick with my angel the next time I need a Christmas miracle.”

      Bill wouldn’t mind sticking with her.

      Whoa! Where had that come from?

      He wasn’t up for sticking with anyone. Not for more than a night. Maybe two if they had fun together.

      Maybe the temperature had dropped more than he’d realized. Time to head inside and warm up. He was thinking nonsense right now. “The snow’s picking up. Let’s warm up inside and make ourselves some hot cocoa. We can check if there’s an update on your truck.”

      Her soft smile kicked his gut with the force of an ornery mountain goat. He forced himself to breathe.

      Something was at work here. Not magic. Physical chemistry.

      That would explain the way he felt. But he couldn’t fool around with Grace—no matter how appealing the thought might be.

      Dear Reader,

      When I decided to write more stories about a group of volunteer mountain rescuers on Mount Hood, I kept the order of heroes/heroines in my head. After Jake Porter in the first book, I’d write Sean Hughes, Leanne Thomas and then Bill Paulson. After writing Sean’s story I was kicking myself that I’d married off Tim Moreno before Jake’s book began. In Leanne’s story, Firefighter Under the Mistletoe, I added a new character—Dr. Cullen Gray—so I could write another story, because I wasn’t quite ready to leave Hood Hamlet.

      I’m ready now. The time has come to say goodbye to the brave men and women of OMSAR and the quaint Alpine-inspired town of Hood Hamlet, Oregon.

      I always knew Bill Paulson’s story would be the last book in the series. Bill has been one of my favorite characters, always up for a good time or a laugh, often at his own expense. This Christmas the confirmed bachelor finds more than he bargained for after he helps a young widow named Grace and her three-year-old son, Liam. But with a little Christmas magic—something Hood Hamlet is known for—you never know what might happen!

      I want to thank all the readers who fell in love with Hood Hamlet and its inhabitants the way I did. Being asked whose story I was writing next gave me such a great feeling. I must admit typing The End in this last book was a bittersweet moment. Although each book in the series stands alone, I’ve tried to give updates on some of the previous couples and characters.

      I hope you enjoy your visit to Hood Hamlet!

      Melissa

      A Little Bit

      of Holiday Magic

      Melissa McClone