It Started with a Candy Cane: A Sweet and Sexy Novella: The Delta North Team Small Town Military Romance Novella Series: Soldiers Coming Home, #4

By Susan Saxx

He's back from war. And he's facing...Christmas.

 

The kind, quiet, Delta North soldier has come home...to his ordinary job as a small-town butcher. Rufus Richardson loves his northern community, but he's lonely, and resigned it'll always be that way.

 

Then Emily Gates struts into the small town. She's city. Glam. Out of place in a rustic setting, his opposite in every way.  Ruf is certain she's looking for something, or someone else. Not him.

 

But when the life she's carefully curated suddenly falls apart and she runs off into the dark northern night alone, miracles can happen. For everyone.

 

And this Christmas, it started with a candy cane.

 

"Joyful. Transformative. The Spirit of Christmas, Warmth, Small Towns and Home!"

 

Grab this warm, sweet and lightly sexy holiday story and celebrate the spirit of the season in the small town you've come to love today!

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THE DELTA NORTH TEAM
Small Town Military Romance Novella and Novel Series: Soldiers Coming Home
Read the entire novella series about these special ops soldiers coming home today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Saxx
• Release date: Dec 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386504825

Book preview

Want Free Recipes, too?

Want the special recipes in this volume?

Emily’s Easy-Peasy Homemade Stuffing that she made for Dare & Abby’s get-together,

plus the special Canadiana cookies in the town diner?

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Susan will have them ready for you…soon!

*and there might be a recipe book coming, too!*

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Go to her site, join her m/f newsletter, & gain access to the special VIP section— for subscribers only!

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You’ll find them there, soon!

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Emily’s Homemade Stuffing

Moose-poo Cookies :)

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Enjoy!

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www.susansaxx.com

THE DELTA NORTH TEAM

Small Town Military Romance Series:

Soldiers Coming Home

A band of brothers were forged to provide military support for critical missions, with men from two countries: the U.S. and Canada, in the spirit of their forerunner, The Devil’s Brigade. With the handle The Delta North Special Ops Team, these soldiers sweat and worked together, put their lives on the line, and pulled off critical missions and successes.

Now these heroes have come home and are starting their civilian lives far away from the battlefield, but with the same stalwart and uncompromising principles they fought under still strong in their hearts.

Integrating back into civilian life will not be easy. Much has changed since they’ve been gone, and sometimes? Not enough has changed. But they’re back…

…and they’re going to make a dent.

Read their stories, hold your breath, cheer for their hard-won successes.

Coming April 2021

1

Here?

Rufus Richardson peeled his gaze from the gorgeous woman sitting in Luke’s Diner in the tiny town of Jack’s Bay and focused on the snow-encrusted sidewalk outside the small shop instead. But it wasn’t any use.

There was someone who looked like that—here?

He stopped, awkward. Pretended to rearrange the package of meat in his hands that Rena P. had begged him to deliver—ASAP, she’d pleaded—to her fledgling sandwich and smoothie shop in the small Ontario town, a bunch of kilometers from Toronto.

And someone needing him always tugged.

His closest buddy, Sam Shields, told him it was a savior complex. Said his tendency to help anyone who needed help was a stand-in for a real relationship. And damn it, he was probably right.

But he’d tried a real relationship with Tasha. And after a few months of him and life in the tight, northern Canadian community she’d bolted, hard and fast, for the bright lights of Toronto, leaving him with nothing but said community.

Not that he didn’t like Toronto himself. He’d spent a year there when he was younger. He’d loved the low-key neighborhood, the people. Chillin’ at the restaurant where he’d taken most of his meals, while his parents were otherwise occupied, taking care of family.

Baked saffron yogurt rice? Extra lentil stew? Sure. He’d handed his bowl over, and Mama Diba had heaped it for him. Homemade Persian food. It had all been new, and he’d loved it, pretty much at first bite.

But for a steady, forever home? Cosmopolitan Toronto did not cut it. It was northern Ontario, all the way. Specifically, this community, here, in Jack’s Bay.

Yet, even though they were awesome, they were kinda hard to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s night. Though Petey, his trusty Lab, tried admirably to fill the spot Tasha had so noticeably vacated. As did his gorgeous heap of black cat, Sasha.

He had a quick mental vision of Tasha, draped over him in bed, then he faced off that image with the lanky Lab snoring beside him these days, on top of the covers.

Sometimes…under.

Yeah. Didn’t work. Though he loved the dog like crazy.

So, no. He wasn’t going through that again. Community it was.

When the call had come in a few minutes ago, Jake, the kid working with him at the butcher shop, had given him a look.

Please don’t send me out into the sub-zero Canadian weather again, huh? Pretty please?

So he’d caved. Even though he was the boss, he’d grabbed his parka, tossed it over his bloody apron, slapped the package of meat under his arm and headed out. And if he hadn’t glanced through the café’s shop window, past the twinkling lights with the holly and mistletoe tacked up inside...

Well, he did and he had. And now, he had to deal with it.

Something about her drew him. Hard.

Sitting across from Abby Logan, relatively new wife of Dare Logan, talking up a storm. All dressed in pale, unspoiled, squeaky-clean cream. Big, fluffy jacket made of fur, hiding what looked to be a slender frame. The same color leggings, even the thick fluffy scarf, draped over one of the chairs in the café, was that same, cat-just-licked-it-all-over cream.

She was glamorous.

He couldn’t just stop and stare. That was rude, wasn’t it? And worse, it gave too much away. Game-face, always. It had served him well, kept people at a respectful distance. Mostly.

Where had he seen her before?

It hit him. His sister, Chloe, had gone through a Fred Astaire-Bing Crosby old movie phase, back in the day. She’d been into flicks from the thirties and forties, and he’d suffered through more than one gritty black and white or film noir stretched pixel-thin on their big-screen TV.

And the center of it was always the same.

The dashing heroine with fair skin and big, dark eyes. The glow of a soft set with light diffused all over her lively face. Spunky, yet glamorous. So vibrant...

It was her. The spirit of a thousand heroines, distilled into this one woman.

Growing roots into the sidewalk, buddy? Rand Peters, his military buddy and an ex Delta North Team member like him, bumped his elbow solidly. What are you doing just standing here? It’s too cold, man. He followed Ruf’s gaze into the café, stopped talking. His eyes widened and he whistled, long and slow. Okay, then. Maybe not. I stand corrected.

Ruf snorted. Don’t be crazy. I almost lost this stuff for Rena, that’s all. He saw out of the corner of his eye the onyx-haired beauty gesturing, laughing. Poking Abby. Caught those eyes and groaned internally.

Even in that, she was unique. Violet, damn it.

And he was a goner.

He drew in a deep breath, forced his gaze away. It would never work. Even if she gave him the time of day. Never. Best to discharge the errand quickly, then get back to his busy shop.

Then her foot bounced, the high-heeled leather boot bobbing upwards, the toe spearing the air.

Pink.

The one splash of color in an otherwise pale outfit. Totally impractical for anything to do with the Canadian North.

Simultaneously, he caught sight of the drip of blood from the corner of the package he was holding as it fell onto his greasy boots, then another big, red splotch onto the pristine white dusting of snow heaped up against the base of the storefront.

He winced, shook his head. Sighed, deep. See you tomorrow night at The Eve, buddy.

Rand surveyed him with a quizzical look, then a look of understanding filled them. He actually looked sorry for him. Sure thing, buddy.

Aw, Rand was a good egg. He could tell he knew exactly how he was feeling. And no wonder. Rand was all torn up about some girl in Toronto, too, where he worked.

Shit. Were any of his soldier buddies destined to meet the one? Were any of them supposed to be settled in love, now that they’d come home from war?

He turned from the intoxicating sight in the cafe, and continued on the only mission he had any right to be thinking about. An everyday mission, very different from those he’d completed while serving in the elite Spec Ops team, known as the Delta North Team. Different, yet as important, cause she’d have his hide if he didn’t get there pronto.

Getting Rena P. the beef brisket she needed for her customers’ sandwiches, ASAP.

2

Emily Gates pulled a candy cane from her bag amid the noise and clatter of the early afternoon rush at Luke’s and presented it to her best friend with a flourish. Isn’t it the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen?

Aside from this purse, you mean? Abby put down her Moose-Poo shortbread cookie, tapped the uber-trendy burlap and cream lace bag Emily had left on top of the table for safekeeping reverently. "This is stunning."

Emily grinned. It was so much fun to share everything with Abby in person, finally. They’d been BFFs from way back, when Abby had interned as a photographer in New York, and they’d gone through some tough times together. It had been her, Abby, and Danica sticking together through thick and thin, with their mutual close friend Kelley close by as well.

And now, here she was, spending a much anticipated Christmas with Abby in Jack’s Bay, where she’d finally settled, with her soldier husband. And her? She had her dream job. How things could change. That’s a keeper, for sure. But seriously, look at this!

Okay, give it here. Abby turned the cellophane-wrapped cane over in her hand, noted the glistening edible candy studs all over the oversized cane, the tempting food-grade gold bits and tiny white fake rhinestones dotting the red and white confection. It’s too beautiful! Your design? The one you had that little candy-maker in the concourse create for you?

It is! The owner loves it. She laughed. He said he’s going to call it the Emily. It’s already selling like hotcakes.

Well, you definitely created a boon for his business. Too bad you can’t market these yourself, edible sparklys and all. How many of these did you order?

That’s not important, Emily said dramatically, then laughed. At least that’s the story I’m getting ready for my boss. I ordered cases, Abby. Way too many cases. But we’re still under budget, and I tell you, it’s going to be the most stunning Christmas Eve in the Street ever. She sat back in her chair, her right hand still clamped on her vanilla cashmere scarf to make sure it didn’t slip to the dirty, winter-messy floor of the café, as she visualized the event she’d conjured up as part of her junior city planning role.

I told the volunteers to hang them everywhere. With the fairy lights on the little trees in the square concrete planters along the sidewalk, and the way the lights will catch on the sparkles, it’s going to be breathtaking. In daylight, but especially at night. I also bought big turquoise balls, encrusted with silver, and they’re going to go up on all the trees, lampposts, everywhere you can think of. The shopping district will never have been as pretty. We’re marketing it as a debut design, ‘The Magic of Christmas.’ I’ve got all the shopkeepers riffing off the design too, for their shop-windows, with a charity angle. It’s amazing.

Abby shook her head, totally enthralled, mentally there with her. Wow. I can imagine.

No wonder they were such good friends. Whatever you experienced, you could share with Abby, and Danica and Kelley too for that matter, and all ego was gone. They genuinely cared about her successes, always had, even when her successes were so far off the map it was a joke. It was one of the reasons she loved them so much.

And you say they’re starting it all tonight?

"This afternoon, actually. They want the reporters to be able to get in, get a quick story and a bunch of photos, then have it printed and ready for the downtown rags and a pile of websites,