Grown-Up Christmas Wish — Lisa Mondello

On the eve of losing his inheritance from the only person who called him family, Cade takes leave from the Army and travels to Sweet Montana only to find out his grandfather's house is going to be put up for auction for hungry developers to bid on if he doesn't come up with enough money to pay off delinquent tax debt before the day after Christmas. The only warm childhood memories Cade has were from visiting Sweet during Christmas and helping his grandfather give sleigh rides down Main Street. So Cade decides to fix up the old sleigh to see if he can raise enough money to keep his house. If he fails, he has no reason to come back to Sweet except for the pretty realtor who is has a knack for wearing the absolute wrong winter boots, makes the best hot chocolate, and has the warmest smile that melts his heart. Real estate broker, Sally Macomber hates the holidays as much as she hates the cold weather. She'd moved to Sweet just before he husband decided to enlist in the military. She stayed too long after his death because moving on was harder than dealing with the harsh Montana winters alone. She'd thought the old rundown property across the street from her real estate office was going to be an easy deal that would finally help her move on with her life. She never counted on the persistent soldier with blue eyes she couldn't help falling into and with a persistence that made her want to fight for a Christmas miracle she never knew she was hungry for. Grown-ups don't write Christmas lists to Santa. But as her heart falls for Cade, Sally begins to wonder if maybe her grownup Christmas wish was Cade all along. Will Cade be the comeback kid who brings Christmas joy to Sweet and to Sally?