On Christmas Hill

By Nichole Chase

Find the magic this season.

When Gertie Nichols passed away, her estate was given to her great niece, Molly. After making the long trek from Florida to Vermont with her dog Remy, Molly is caught off guard by the attractive groundskeeper her aunt left in charge. At first her lonely holiday seems to be shaping up to be better than expected—until Nate tells her about the Nichols family legacy and the secret of Christmas Hill.

As sparks fly and magic blossoms right before her eyes, Molly will have to decide whether to take up the mantle her great aunt’s left behind or turn her back on tradition and the man who has quickly garnered space in her heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nichole Chase
• Release date: Nov 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301054305

Nichole Chase

Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal and Recklessly Royal. She lives in Georgia with her husband, little girl, superhero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you can find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.

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On Christmas Hill

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On Christmas Hill

Copyright © 2012 by Nichole Chase

ISBN-13: 9781301054305

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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For my family and friends.

Chapter One

The car sputtered as I sat at the entrance and tried to see through the trees. Old wooden gates framed the driveway, and I could just make out the dark roof in the distance. A plume of smoke floated above the tree tops and I prayed that meant there was a fire going. I wasn’t used to all of the snow. It was beautiful, but foreign to this Florida girl. And cold. A wet cold that soaked through my cotton mittens, making my fingers sting.

I took my foot off the brake and slid the car through the gates, grateful I hadn’t needed to get out and open them. An old wooden sign had the words Christmas Hill painted in beautiful letters. The lawyer hadn’t known the story behind the name. Honestly, she hadn’t seemed to know much at all about my great aunt when she called to tell me about the property. Just that there was a groundskeeper, a small amount of money stashed aside, and the location. Oh, and the key. It was a hefty, antique key with a red ribbon tied to it.

The snow glittered in large piles on either side of the narrow driveway and I was glad my car was so small. Otherwise, I might have had a hard time fitting. Remy made a whining noise from the passenger seat and I wondered how he would handle the snow. I was pretty sure if he hopped out of the car and into one of those snow drifts I’d never see him again. His big brown eyes were excited, though, and I loved seeing his tail wag. It dispelled some of the apprehension I was feeling at becoming a home owner, not to mention the whole spending Christmas alone. At twenty-three, I hadn’t been looking to put down roots. I could sell the place, but the will had said I had to spend one Christmas there before I could even start the process of selling.

From all accounts, it looked like Great Aunt Gertie had been Christmas obsessed. As my car navigated the winding driveway, I saw large animals playing in the snow. Several of them were jumping and butting heads, moving around the clearing with a smooth gait, as if the snow wasn’t even there. At first I thought they were horses, until I got a little closer and noticed the antlers. Moose? No, that wasn’t right. A sharp chuckle jerked out of my mouth as my mind processed what I was seeing. Reindeer. A herd of reindeer.

Looks like you’re going to have some company, Remy! I shook my head in wonder. What was I going to do with reindeer? I hoped the groundskeeper took care of them. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

As I rounded the final bend, I was rewarded with a visual feast. A large, wooden cabin looked out on the field I had caught glimpses of, a red—dare I say Christmas red—barn sat not far away. Off in the distance was another small house with cheery green shutters and a large pile of wood on the porch. But I hardly noticed them with my eyes trained on the gorgeous house in front of me. I pulled right up to the house and put my car in park.