was in the kitchen of the Teaberry mansion. She’d found all the ingredients for apple cinnamon muffins, and as her baby chewed on a rattle she set about to make the kitchen smell warm and sweet.
She was just pulling the last tin of muffins from the oven when Drew walked into the kitchen.
She smiled at him. “Hey.”
He ambled over sleepily. “Hey. What are you doing up so early?”
“It’s eight. Besides, Claire’s been up since six-thirty. She didn’t wake in the middle of the night, so I guess getting up early was her way to make up for that.”
He stopped her words with a kiss.
When he pulled away, she smiled at him. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” He laughed. “I have to say you’re probably the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.”
“I hope so, because I didn’t have time to buy you anything.”
“Which reminds me—” He turned toward the swinging door. “Wanna come in now?”
The kitchen door swung open slowly, and there stood Gill.
Gwen screamed with joy. Gill screamed with delight. They ran into each other’s arms.
Drew said, “Claire didn’t really sleep through the night. She woke when Gill got here.” He laughed as the twins hugged each other. “But I got her a bottle.”
Gwen pulled out of Gill’s hug. “I don’t know what shocks me more. That you somehow got Gill here—”
“Private plane,” Drew supplied.
“Or that you took care of Claire.”
“Hey, I’ve got to start sometime.”
Gill laughed, walked to the counter and glanced at the muffins. “Are these apple cinnamon?”
Gwen nodded, “Yes.”
“All right!” She headed for the refrigerator. “I’ll make bacon.”
Brody stepped into the room. He glanced at Gwen, then Gill, and laughed. “You must be the twin.”
“Gill,” Gwen supplied.
Gill said, “You must be Brody.”
Brody nodded. “So, what are we making?”
“Apple cinnamon muffins and bacon,” Gill said. “Then we open presents.”
Brody’s face brightened. “You got me something?”
Gill winced. “At the gift shop in the airport.”
Brody laughed. “I am going to love having an aunt.”
Drew leaned against the countertop, admiring his wife-to-be, loving his new family.
Brody was right. He had been afraid. Or maybe he’d simply been waiting for the right woman? Either way, he’d like to live on Teaberry Farms for the rest of his life—where wishes came true and families were formed.
But it wouldn’t matter where he lived so long as Gwen was with him.
B ARBARA W ALLACE
Magic Under the Mistletoe
Dear Reader,
Imagine how excited I was to learn I would be making my Harlequin Romance ® debut with Susan Meier! Susan has long been one of my favorite authors, and working with her made my first writing assignment a joy. As we fleshed out the McKenzie twins’ stories we discovered we had a lot in common, including a mutual appreciation for the magic surrounding Christmas—the kind that comes from opening your heart to the season’s beauty and possibilities.
Workaholic Gill McKenzie is so bent on success she’s forgotten what real Christmas magic is. Fortunately Oliver Harrington and his charges are there to remind her. And maybe, just maybe, open Oliver’s eyes a little, too.
As for me, I’m enjoying the magic of being part of the Harlequin family. I hope you enjoy reading Gill’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Meanwhile, on behalf of my husband and son here in New England, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Happy holidays!
Barbara Wallace
Look out for Barbara Wallace’s next Harlequin Romance ® novel in December
THE CINDERELLA BRIDE
CHAPTER ONE
T HE brightly painted silhouettes of children decorating the McNabb Community Center couldn’t mask its surroundings. Broken windows and padlocked storefronts told the truth. Across the street a group of young men, too young to be out of school, congregated in a convenience store doorway. Gill McKenzie felt them eyeing her as she
She was just pulling the last tin of muffins from the oven when Drew walked into the kitchen.
She smiled at him. “Hey.”
He ambled over sleepily. “Hey. What are you doing up so early?”
“It’s eight. Besides, Claire’s been up since six-thirty. She didn’t wake in the middle of the night, so I guess getting up early was her way to make up for that.”
He stopped her words with a kiss.
When he pulled away, she smiled at him. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” He laughed. “I have to say you’re probably the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.”
“I hope so, because I didn’t have time to buy you anything.”
“Which reminds me—” He turned toward the swinging door. “Wanna come in now?”
The kitchen door swung open slowly, and there stood Gill.
Gwen screamed with joy. Gill screamed with delight. They ran into each other’s arms.
Drew said, “Claire didn’t really sleep through the night. She woke when Gill got here.” He laughed as the twins hugged each other. “But I got her a bottle.”
Gwen pulled out of Gill’s hug. “I don’t know what shocks me more. That you somehow got Gill here—”
“Private plane,” Drew supplied.
“Or that you took care of Claire.”
“Hey, I’ve got to start sometime.”
Gill laughed, walked to the counter and glanced at the muffins. “Are these apple cinnamon?”
Gwen nodded, “Yes.”
“All right!” She headed for the refrigerator. “I’ll make bacon.”
Brody stepped into the room. He glanced at Gwen, then Gill, and laughed. “You must be the twin.”
“Gill,” Gwen supplied.
Gill said, “You must be Brody.”
Brody nodded. “So, what are we making?”
“Apple cinnamon muffins and bacon,” Gill said. “Then we open presents.”
Brody’s face brightened. “You got me something?”
Gill winced. “At the gift shop in the airport.”
Brody laughed. “I am going to love having an aunt.”
Drew leaned against the countertop, admiring his wife-to-be, loving his new family.
Brody was right. He had been afraid. Or maybe he’d simply been waiting for the right woman? Either way, he’d like to live on Teaberry Farms for the rest of his life—where wishes came true and families were formed.
But it wouldn’t matter where he lived so long as Gwen was with him.
B ARBARA W ALLACE
Magic Under the Mistletoe
Dear Reader,
Imagine how excited I was to learn I would be making my Harlequin Romance ® debut with Susan Meier! Susan has long been one of my favorite authors, and working with her made my first writing assignment a joy. As we fleshed out the McKenzie twins’ stories we discovered we had a lot in common, including a mutual appreciation for the magic surrounding Christmas—the kind that comes from opening your heart to the season’s beauty and possibilities.
Workaholic Gill McKenzie is so bent on success she’s forgotten what real Christmas magic is. Fortunately Oliver Harrington and his charges are there to remind her. And maybe, just maybe, open Oliver’s eyes a little, too.
As for me, I’m enjoying the magic of being part of the Harlequin family. I hope you enjoy reading Gill’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Meanwhile, on behalf of my husband and son here in New England, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Happy holidays!
Barbara Wallace
Look out for Barbara Wallace’s next Harlequin Romance ® novel in December
THE CINDERELLA BRIDE
CHAPTER ONE
T HE brightly painted silhouettes of children decorating the McNabb Community Center couldn’t mask its surroundings. Broken windows and padlocked storefronts told the truth. Across the street a group of young men, too young to be out of school, congregated in a convenience store doorway. Gill McKenzie felt them eyeing her as she
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