A Romance for Christmas

By Bernadette Marie

A Romance for Christmas~ A Keller Family Christmas Novella
Tiffany longed to have the kinds of relationships she’d watched her best friend’s family create over the years. The Keller and Benson families forged long lasting—true love relationships that come once in a lifetime. Unfortunately, her romances were a little more on the freestyle side. That was until she met country music bass player Blake and it turned out to be the best Christmas ever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing
• Release date: May 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781631121586

Bernadette Marie

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty-five books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always...and says she can write it because she lives it.Obsessed with the art of writing and the business of publishing, chronic entrepreneur Bernadette Marie established her own publishing house, 5 Prince Publishing, in 2011 to bring her own work to market as well as offer an opportunity for fresh voices in fiction to find a home as well.When not immersed in the writing/publishing world, Bernadette Marie and her husband are shuffling their five hockey playing boys around town to practices and games as well as running their family business. She is a lover of a good stout craft beer and might have an unhealthy addiction to chocolate.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

The neighborhood looked just as it had in the conceptual drawings that hung on the wall in the construction trailer nearly two years earlier. Tiffany would always be grateful for the job Spencer Benson had given her. Sometimes it paid, and paid well, to have successful friends.

She had sold most of the houses in the development. It had netted her a nice condo and a hefty shoe collection. Driving back through the neighborhood always felt as if she were coming home.

Tiffany admired the holiday decorations that were unique to each home. Twinkling lights of multi-colors, or bright white strands of lights illuminated the entire street. The trees that lined the neighborhood were decorated too. Christmas was in full swing.

She couldn’t help but wonder if each family she’d sold a house to, during development, still lived in each of the houses. The babies that were due after closing were now walking, she thought. The toddlers would be starting Kindergarten. New families had moved in, and original ones had moved out. That was how a neighborhood was supposed to be.

But she wasn’t there to visit one of the cookie cutter builds her dearest friend Spencer had designed and built. She was driving through this neighborhood to get to his custom-remodeled home, which had been the original homestead. It sat just behind the Hart Estates, which he’d named after his great-grandfather.

She passed the well thought out park near the entrance of the community and drove past the paths, which in the summer were green and lush to walk on. The barn behind Spencer’s house came into view, and a moment later so did the grand house Spencer had built for his wife, Julie.

Tiffany sat at the stop sign for a moment and took in the sight of it. The barn was laced with white twinkling lights, which matched the house with its wrap around porch. It was magically mesmerizing.

From a block away she could see the enormous twelve-foot tree in the arched window. Tiffany liked glamour, and this house had it all. To think she’d once thought she’d be in line for that—the house that Spencer built. That had been long ago, a distant thought, by a young girl who dreamed of being Spencer’s wife.

She let out a breath and turned her car toward the house.

Who was she kidding to say she thought she’d have been Mrs. Spencer Benson? They’d been friends far too long. They had loved equally as long. No, she’d lost him the moment he saw Julie walk into the boardroom during a business merger. From that moment on, Tiffany was only the best friend and that was all she’d ever truly wished to be.

She loved Spencer’s wife Julie—loved her like a sister. They had grown extremely close the past two years. Julie and Spencer belonged together. There was no question about it.

Tiffany pulled her car up behind a long line of others, and turned off the engine. She was her casual late—which she preferred. She liked to make an entrance.

Pulling down the visor, she opened the mirror. Her red hair shimmered with a touch of glitter she’d added. It was festive, she thought as she pressed her lips together to freshen the shine on them.

Picking up the pearl pink bag in the seat next to her, she looked it over. Tiffany’s Treasures was scrolled in gold foil on the bag.

Things weren’t so bad, she grinned. She may not have gotten the wealthy and sexy man she’d vied for so many years, but she was living her own dream. Once people had seen the wedding ring she’d designed for Spencer to give to Julie, orders for Tiffany’s custom jewelry began to pour in. It wasn’t but a few months before she was able to open her own jewelry boutique.

Inside the bag were special Christmas gifts she had designed for the Bensons. Each gift was as unique as the friends she was giving them to.

Tiffany opened the door and stepped her high-heeled foot into the thin layer of snow that had fallen. Someone was bound to comment about her footwear, but she couldn’t help herself. She was addicted to shoes.

Besides, this was a party and she was there to enjoy herself. There was a room with her name on it on the second story of the house. If she celebrated too much, she’d stay.

Slowly, and carefully, she walked across the street and up the steps to the house.

Tiffany pushed open the front door of the house Spencer had designed. Laughter and conversation filled her ears. Spencer’s cousin Clara was the first to see her.

With a toddler on her hip, and a growing pregnant belly, she hurried toward Tiffany and enveloped her in her arms, the toddler pressed between them.

Merry Christmas, Clara said over the noise in the house.

Tiffany felt the warmth of the holiday in the sentiment. Merry Christmas.

You look beautiful, Clara said as she looked at her. You’re always stunning.

So are you, Tiffany said, resting her hand on Clara’s stomach. I didn’t know about this one.

This is what living on your husband’s tour bus will get you, she giggled like a girl telling a secret.

How is Warner? she asked of Clara’s famous musician husband.

He’s so busy. He’s been on tour for six months straight. Luckily he’s in Nashville for two weeks until after Christmas. He’s playing the Opry tomorrow.

That’s fabulous.

Then it’s back out on the road for a few more months, but I’ll be staying here until the baby is born.

Tiffany couldn’t even imagine Clara not having her husband around, but then again Clara was part of the Keller/Benson clan. No one was ever alone.

Clara took Tiffany’s hand and pulled her further into the house. I have tickets for tomorrow. You should come. An Opry show is always the best.

I’d love that.

Warner has a new bass player too. I’m not going to tell you how sexy he is. That would be wrong for a married woman with a baby and a pregnant belly to say such things. But he’s here, so you can mention to me later what you think.

Tiffany laughed as she walked toward the living room.

Just as she had imagined, all of Spencer’s cousins and their spouses, and their kids, filled the room. Spencer’s brother Tyler stood with his wife Courtney and their two children in the corner. The children were watching the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree and she could hear Tyler explain the site to his wife, who was blind.

Tiffany, you look beautiful.

She turned to see Spencer’s mother Regan walking toward her. She pulled her to her and squeezed her tightly. I stopped into your store the other day, she said. You weren’t there, but the designs you’ve created are amazing. I bought a pair of earrings that I just had to have. A Christmas present just for me. She pushed