Ellie and the Christmas Spirit: Magical Holiday Romances, #3

By Tami Franklin

Ellie hates Christmas.

 

Well, maybe hate is the wrong word. While others are excited for the holiday season, she'd rather just skip it altogether.

 

Then Milo moves in across the hall. He's quirky and cute, despite his questionable fashion sense and unusual, semi-fanatical passion for the holiday. He makes her a bet－let him try to change her mind about Christmas, and if he fails, he'll give Ellie the recipe for the most amazing hot chocolate she's ever tasted.

 

Cue the jingle bells, as Milo drags Ellie into a whirlwind of baking, decorating, and tree-trimming that has her rediscovering the magic of the season . . .  and fa-la-la-la-la-ing for her new neighbor.

 

It's not all tinsel and mistletoe, though. Turns out, Milo's got a secret up his festive sleeve that could change everything. When the clock strikes twelve on Christmas Eve, it'll take a holiday miracle for their love story to have a happy ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Calava Press
• Release date: Dec 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223814146

Book preview

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Copyright ©Tami Franklin, 2023

Published by Calava Press

The right of Tami Franklin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

This work is copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by TM Franklin

Cover Images by depositphotos.com

©rvika

©subarashii21

Visit the Author’s Web Site at TMFranklin.com.

Contents

Two Days Before Christmas

22 YEARS AGO

One Week Before Christmas

16 YEARS AGO

Christmas Eve

14 YEARS AGO

Two Days Before Christmas

12 YEARS AGO

Three Weeks and Four Days Until Christmas

PRESENT DAY

Three Weeks and Three Days Until Christmas

Three Weeks and Two Days Until Christmas

Three Weeks Until Christmas

Two Weeks and Two Days Until Christmas

One Week and One Day Until Christmas

Three Days Until Christmas

Two Days Until Christmas

One Day Until Christmas

Christmas Day

Second Chances

A MAGICAL HOLIDAY ROMANCE

Also By Tami Franklin

Acknowledgments

About Tami Franklin

Two Days Before Christmas

22 YEARS AGO

C ongratulations, it’s a girl! The nurse wrapped the infant in a tiny pink blanket and handed her to the tired woman lying against a pile of pillows, still trying to catch her breath. Rachel’s face lit up as she caught sight of her daughter’s features for the first time—the wide, blinking gray eyes, the tiny nose and pink bow of a mouth.

What will we call her? she asked her husband, still unable to tear her gaze away from the baby’s face, her tiny fingers wrapped around one of Rachel’s own. I can’t believe we haven’t even picked a name.

Cal snapped a few pictures then leaned in to take a closer look. It’s two days before Christmas—maybe Joy?

Rachel scrunched up her nose. How about Holly?

After my annoying cousin? I don’t think so, Cal said with a laugh, reaching down to run a finger along his daughter’s cheek. Carol? Nah . . . Mary? Belle? Cookie? Star?

Rachel snorted. Star? Sounds like a stripper.

Cal shrugged. How about Noelle?

The baby gurgled. Then farted.

Rachel and Cal exchanged a soft smile.

Noelle it is, Rachel said quietly.

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One Week Before Christmas

16 YEARS AGO

H urry up, Noelle, we’re going to be late. Her mother gripped her mittened hand, and Ellie tried to keep up as they maneuvered the crowded sidewalk.

There were too many people, and she was so hot in her winter coat. A man bumped her shoulder and Ellie had had enough.

She yanked her hand away and stomped her foot. My name is Ellie! she shouted. And I don’t wanna see Santa!

Her mom let out a heavy sigh, shoving her dark hair back and looking up at the sky briefly as if asking for help. She put on a smile and turned to face her daughter, crouching down to meet her eye-to-eye. Don’t you want to tell him what you want for Christmas?

No. She crossed her arms over her chest, mouth puckered into a stubborn pout. I don’t like Santa. I don’t like Christmas.

Why not?

Ellie took a shaky breath and felt tears bubble in her eyes and everything went blurry. The crowd forgotten, her mom pulled Ellie into her arms and pressed a kiss to her hair.

What is it, baby? What’s wrong? She looked worried as she pulled back and wiped away Ellie’s tears. Tell me.

It’s . . . Ellie hiccuped, then the words came out in a rush. Madison can’t come to my birthday party because she has to go to her grandma’s for Christmas and Savannah is going skiing, so she can’t come, and everybody else gets to have cupcakes at school on their birthday but I can’t because we don’t have school because of Christmas and Jacob told me I wasn’t going to get any birthday presents because Santa only brings Christmas presents and that I probably won’t get any of those anyway because I’m a stupid girl—

Whoa, whoa, hold on a second, sweetie, Rachel said.

Ellie couldn’t say anything else anyway. The words got all clogged in her throat. She hated Jacob, and she hated Santa, and she hated Christmas.

Ellie, honey, look at me, okay?

After a moment, she looked up, dark eyes wide and glassy. She swiped her fist across her runny nose and her mom grimaced but didn’t chide her. Instead, she got a tissue from her purse to dry Ellie’s eyes.

Now, you listen to me, Rachel said firmly. First of all, Jacob doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

He’s a jerk, Ellie muttered.

Ellie, that’s not nice.

Ellie shrugged. It wasn’t. But it was true.

Anyway, of course Santa is going to bring you presents. You’ve been a very good girl this year. She cupped Ellie’s face in her hands and kissed both cheeks quickly. You’re always a good girl. As for your birthday, I’m sorry your friends can’t come to your party, and about the cupcakes at school.

Ellie’s lip started to tremble again.

Her mom spoke quickly. But you’re going to have an amazing party. I promise. And you will get birthday presents, and we’ll have cake and maybe we’ll go skating.

But what if nobody comes? Ellie whispered.

Then we’ll have an amazing family party—just you, me, Max and Daddy.

Ellie’s face lit up with the beginnings of a smile. That would be fun, even if she had to put up with her big brother. She didn’t really get to do fun stuff with Mommy and Daddy together much. He was always working or gone on trips.

Really?

Really.

She sniffed. Okay.

Rachel stood up and took her daughter’s hand again.

Mommy?

Yeah, baby?

I still don’t want to see Santa.

Okay, Rachel replied. How about ice cream instead?

Ellie smiled. Ice cream was way better than Santa.

Christmas Eve

14 YEARS AGO

Ellie wasn’t sure what woke her, and she held perfectly still, staring up at the ceiling, listening for whatever it was. Her room was perfectly dark except for the tiny Christmas tree her mom had set up on top of her dresser. It was ceramic with little glass bulbs in lots of different colors. It had been her grandma’s, and Ellie’s mom said she had to be extra careful with it because—

She froze, a low murmur of voices from downstairs drawing her attention. They rose and fell like waves, anger pushing them up, up, up, until someone hissed, Shh, the kids! and they’d fall again to almost whispers.

Ellie’s stomach churned. This wasn’t the first time she’d woken up to hear her parents fighting.

Part of her wanted to roll over and pull the pillow over her head. Pretend she hadn’t heard anything and try to go back to sleep. Maybe she could find her headphones and listen to music so she didn’t have to listen.

The