New Beginnings

By Melanie P. Smith

*** A Holiday Short Story ***

It took almost a full year, but Nicole Jenkins is finally free. She has left her family and her abusive husband behind. This year she's determined to have the holiday she’s always wanted. Her first Christmas miracle was finding a job — one that included a cozy, but affordable, apartment. Now it’s time to find the perfect tree.

Unfortunately, her plans are derailed when she ventures into the forest alone. Instead of a Christmas tree, she finds a man carrying what looks like a dead body. Can she salvage the peaceful holiday spirit she has craved for so long? And how will a hunky police officer fit into her plans for the future?

• Language: English
• Publisher: MPSmith Publishing
• Release date: Dec 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781948629218

Melanie P. Smith

Melanie P. Smith went to Dixie State College and the University of Phoenix where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. She also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation from the University of Utah. She worked for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office for over 26 years. Most of that time was in the Special Operations Division where she worked closely with the SWAT Team and The Child Abduction Response Team coordinating communications and logistics. She also worked closely with Search & Rescue, The Mounted Posse, K9 and the Motorcycle Squad. Melanie has been able to utilize both her knowledge of police operations and business practices to make her novels fun and exciting.

Book preview

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New Beginnings

Melanie P. Smith

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MPSmith Publishing

Copyright © 2015 Melanie P. Smith

First Edition | Holiday Collection

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No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the Author.

www.melaniepsmith.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All trademarks are the property of their owners and are acknowledged by the proper use of capitalization throughout.

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DESCRIPTION

It took almost a full year, but Nicole Jenkins is finally free. She has left her family and her abusive husband behind. This year she's determined to have the holiday she’s always wanted. Her first Christmas miracle was finding a job — one that included a cozy, but affordable, apartment. Now it’s time to find the perfect tree.

Unfortunately, her plans are derailed when she ventures into the forest alone. Instead of a Christmas tree, she finds a man carrying what looks like a dead body. Can she salvage the peaceful holiday spirit she has craved for so long? And how will a hunky police officer fit into her plans for the future?

Contents

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

Books By

Melanie P. Smith

Chapter One

Nicole crested the hill and stopped to look around. The scenery was amazing up here. She raised her arms and twirled in a slow circle. She was finally free. Knowing that, finally accepting it — was so exhilarating. This year she was going to have the Christmas of her dreams. She could decorate her way — with as many fun, tacky knick-knacks as she pleased — and Sterling couldn’t ruin it for her. The memory of her ex-husband dampened her spirits — but only for a moment. She took a deep breath and refused to think of her previous life. Her divorce was final now. She had a new job in a new town. She had a new life. From this moment forward, she was going to take advantage of her freedom and enjoy every minute. And she was taking her first independent step this afternoon - she was going to find the perfect Christmas tree.

Nicole moved closer to the edge of the clearing and took a minute to study her surroundings. Trina, her new boss, told her this National Forest was open to the public and there weren’t any laws against cutting down trees in this section. Now, she just needed to find a way into the woods. Well, she was already in the forest, but this trail was well traveled and had limited options. She needed to find a secluded area with thick trees that were still close to the trail. She desperately wanted to find the perfect tree and for that, she would need to find a way off this cliff. Nicole paused again to just soak in the beauty and enjoy the magnificence. She loved it here. The ground was