Holiday Homecoming by Cheryl Douglas

life in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. You taught
me how to believe in myself, to work hard and take pride in my
accomplishments. If I hadn’t learned to love myself, I never
could’ve believed that a man like Dom could love me.”
    Dominic got
out of his chair and came around to Lena’s side of the table.
Crouching down in front of her, he said, “You deserve everything
you have, baby. If you hadn’t struggled, you wouldn’t have
appreciated this as much as you do.”
    Alisa knew Dom
was right. She’d been born to wealth and she and her husband were
blessed with an embarrassment of riches, but it wasn’t until they
almost lost each other that she realized money and material
possessions didn’t matter if she had to live without him.
    Lena hugged
Dominic, whispering, “I still can’t believe this.”
    Jay and
Victoria got up and rounded the table. “Congratulations,” they
said, drawing her into a group hug.
    Their
daughter, Ava, stood just behind them, waiting her turn to speak to
Lena, the woman who gave birth to her and gave her up for adoption
on the day she was born.
    Lena reached
out her hands and Ava took them.
    Watching their
relationship evolve over the years was so gratifying for Alisa. Ava
was a little girl when she learned that Jay and Victoria weren’t
her birth parents, but instead of being bitter and resentful, she’d
been curious. Lena was already a part of her life because she
remained so close to the Coopers over the years. At first, Lena was
terrified Ava would resent her for the choice she made, but she
invited the little girl to ask her the tough questions so they
could build a solid friendship.
    “You said
something earlier,” Ava said, looking her birth mother in the
eye.
    “What’s that?”
Lena asked quietly.
    “You said you
don’t know where you would have ended up without this family. I
feel the same way.”
    Lena hugged
her and whispered, “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”
    With her arm
around Lena’s waist, she turned to the people seated around the
table. “I wake up every day feeling so lucky that I get to be a
part of this family. You may not all be related by blood, but
you’re closer than any family I’ve ever known.”
    Lena kissed
her cheek and smiled. “You’re so right.”
    “We all get so
busy. Sometimes we forget about the people we love, so we use the
holidays as an excuse to catch up .” Ava made quotation marks
in the air with her fingers. “I don’t have to do that with you
guys, ’cause you’re always with me. No matter what, I know you’ll
be there to cheer me on or pick me up when I need help. That’s what
family’s all about, right?”
    Trey looked at
Liam, a smirk on his face. “I’d like to see ya top that.”
    Liam held his
hand up and smiled at Ava. “You win, kid. From now on, you can
propose the toasts.”

Nashville Nights Next Generation
    Book Two –
Trade Off
    Professional
hockey player, Aiden Cooper, should be happy. He’s been traded to
Nashville. But going home also means he has to face the truth. The
love of his life is married to his former best friend and new
teammate, and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it.
    When Sela
Clarke finds out her former boyfriend, Aiden Cooper, is finally
coming home, she panics. How can she pretend she’s still in love
with her husband when the only man she’s ever loved is bound to
uncover the lie that tore them apart?
    Release Date –
November 2012

    Special
Edition – Holiday Homecoming
    Trey Turner
and his wife, Sierra, are hosting a Christmas gathering for their
closest friends and family when an expected event forces them to
pull together and help one of their own through a crisis. Will
tragedy strike, forcing Trey to face his worst nightmare, or will
this holiday be the one that helps them all to heal?
    Release Date –
November 2012

    Book Three –
Game On
    When Brianna
Cooper accepts a position with the legal team at Titan Records, she
knows what to expect.