His Gift

By Melissa Lane

he small town of Moosehead, Montana wasn’t where Cass Renaud had planned to end up. It was just where she happened to be when the money ran out. The sign in the bar window felt like a good sign, advertising the one job that she knew she could do and do well. But no one can outrun their problems forever.
Jackson Kincaid hadn’t shot for Moosehead either, but he had run out of gas there. The bar lights led him in and he gave into impulse when he saw the help wanted sign. He was a cut above the average bouncer, but he knew that qualifications wouldn’t be a problem. The only real problem he could see when he walked in was how he was going to keep his hands off of the gorgeous woman behind the counter.
At least, until he sees her flinch at the sight of him. That makes it easier not to push, but it doesn’t change anything about much he wants her. And how much he wants to keep her safe from whatever haunts her eyes. Then again, he’s spent a lot of miles trying to push that instinct down.
Constantly thrown together by rowdy customers, a quirky boss, and a sudden snowstorm, Cass and Jackson are going to find it difficult to resist what they want most this Christmas season.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eye Know Romance Publishing
• Release date: Nov 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463297476

Book preview

His Gift

By Melissa Lane

143 Publishing

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2019 Melissa Lane

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All pictures are held by commercial license and may not be duplicated by anyone without express permission.

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

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Disclaimer/Acknowledgement/Miscellaneous

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 1:

Cass rested her elbows on the bar top and sighed as her lower back finally loosened up just a little. Standing behind the bar for eleven hours was no joke. She took a deep breath, only just realizing how tight her chest had gotten during the hectic hours that had passed. It hadn’t been too bad, but it had clearly been enough to distract her. To let the anxiety build just enough to be painful in quieter moments.

She’d had no choice but to endure those hours because she was the only bartender. Panic attacks or not, she wasn’t the type to leave her coworkers in the lurch. However, she couldn’t deny that she was thinking seriously of walking into the office in back and scribbling a two weeks notice on a post it for the manager to find in the morning. Or maybe a two minutes notice instead.

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the lack of voices lull her into a deeper calm. The only sounds left now were the juke and the clink of glasses and silverware as the waitresses cleared the tables. There was nothing keeping her here. She could leave if she wanted to.

Relief flooded through her at the thought and she took a step back, pushing herself upright. She’d go right into the office and leave the note. She could be gone by morning and.... The thoughts ground to a halt when she turned and saw the paper skeleton that grinned down at her from above a long row of liquor bottles. Her whole body jerked in reaction and its smile seemed to turn mocking as it spun in the breeze from the ceiling fans.

Cass sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. At least now she could take that damn thing down; it had been catching her off guard since she’d started working at the bar three weeks ago. They decorated early around here. She reached up and tugged it down, crumpling it up and tossing it into the trash can that was filled nearly to the brim with cans and bottles.

Halloween was over, but that was only the start of the busy season. The holidays were approaching steadily and she knew in her heart of hearts that it wouldn’t matter where she went. It would be busy there too. There was nothing else she knew enough about to be able to walk into and start work, either. Bartending was her only marketable skill.

She had to pay the bills. Maybe she could see the town doctor about something to calm her nerves through the season. It probably wouldn’t even sound odd. Wasn’t everyone a little nervy around the holidays? She probably wouldn’t have to explain too much.

The job didn’t offer health insurance, but she lived cheaply. She could probably scrape together the fee. Things here in Montana weren’t as expensive as they’d been back in New Orleans.

In the middle of her musings, the door swung open. Cass glanced to the clock. They were technically closed, but none of the