A Happy Christmas Ending

By Christiane France

The sequel to the best-seller Raindrops And Roses...

When Drew and Michael first met, they spent every minute of their free time together, dreaming, planning and generally behaving like they lived on their own private planet. Now, almost three months later, they’re still together, but only just. Michael’s been gradually distancing himself from Drew and he’s not returning Drew’s calls. They’re supposed to be spending Christmas with Michael’s family, so Drew forces a meeting. If Michael has met someone else, he wants to know, and he wants to know now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christiane France
• Release date: Sep 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536537284

Book preview

A Happy Christmas Ending

London in early December had turned out to be pretty much what I’d expected it to be. Cold, damp, and the grey sky overhead backed up the TV forecaster’s promise of rain mixed with snow before the day was over. The kind of weather that made me want to cuddle up in front of a blazing fire, or convince my boyfriend, Michael, to escape with me somewhere warm. Maybe a smooth sandy beach in the Caribbean, or even better, how about Hawaii or somewhere in the South Seas?

That was if I could pin him down long enough to suggest the idea. I’d hardly seen Michael in days and it was starting to worry me. I knew he’d been bogged down with extra work after the other acquisitions editor at the publishing house where he worked quit on a moment’s notice. And I’d been running myself ragged, driving back and forth between the two building renovation sites that accounted for my presence here in Britain.

Even so, two people who planned to spend the future together needed more us time if they hoped to sustain their relationship. Two phone calls Michael hadn’t returned in what was now over a week simply didn’t cut it. Unless he was trying to send me a message...one I really didn’t want to think about.

I finished the progress reports on both jobs and emailed copies to my boss at Falton International’s head office in Toronto. With that done, I clicked out of the program, and checked on an appointment for the coming week. I then opened the file on cost projections for one of the jobs that was already threatening to go over the original estimate, pushed Michael from my mind and tried to concentrate.

Falton specialized in the renovation and restoration of old buildings and had successfully completed projects to their credit all over the world. I’d worked for the company since graduating college, starting at the bottom and slowly moving up the ladder until being promoted to the position of senior project manager.

A couple of months ago, around the beginning of September, I’d been between projects when the CEO, Grey Falton, called me into his office. The company had been awarded a very important first: two lucrative projects in England, and Grey wanted me to take charge of the London office for a couple of weeks. I knew the job was basically window dressing, but even so I was flattered at being the person chosen to do it. The set-up of the offices was still in progress and construction hadn’t yet started, so no actual work would be involved. All I would be required to do was act as the face of the company until a permanent general manager could be hired. Once that happened I would return home to my regular job.

The temporary assignment had been more in the nature of an order rather than a request, but that had been fine with me. A few weeks of what amounted to a paid vacation in a fast-paced city like London sounded fun and exciting. What was not to like? Or so I’d thought. I never stopped to consider that I didn’t know anyone in England and the only people in the office were the set-up crew composed of two IT techs and a temporary secretary-receptionist. In other words, I would be totally on my own and chained to a chair with absolutely nothing to do except try to look busy. After one day I was bored out of my skull, looking for anything to occupy my time other than do crossword puzzles and drink bad coffee by the gallon. I couldn’t wait for Grey to call and say I was off the hook and could return to my regular life.

After what felt like weeks but was in fact only two, the call came. A permanent manager had been found and my flight home arranged.

Then, the day before I was to leave, I met Michael and my life did a fast one-eighty. We both knew the initial wow as our eyes met signaled more than a passing fancy. What no one knew or could even guess at was whether it would fizzle after a few days or turn into something special. With only a few hours left to explore our feelings before my flight took