Excerpt: All I Want for Christmas by Cindy K. Green

Book Blurb:

Best Friends or True Love? Only Santa Knows.
Kathryn Graham hates Christmas. She hates the snow, the decorations, the whole nine yards. Nick Pringle on the other hand can’t get enough of the season. He may be her best friend and fellow writer at Redburn Weekly Magazine, but sometimes his exuberance gets on her very last nerve. Now they’ve been assigned to cover the orphan toy drive story. It’s just a puff piece not the serious journalism Kathryn hopes for, but maybe—as Nick says—there are no old stories just new angles.
Nick Pringle has been in love with Kathryn practically since the day they met. When he realizes that she’s lost her Christmas spirit, he figures he’s just the guy to help her find it again. He enacts a plan to send her anonymous gifts from Secret Santa, but will any of this really make a difference in her? Will she ever see him as anything more than her smart-aleck partner even after their passionate kisses? Then again maybe he’ll get what he wants for Christmas after all.


Excerpt:

Kathryn rubbed her tired eyes while walking into the office the next morning. Coffee! Where is the coffee? her exhausted body called out. Thoughts about her Christmas assignment kept waking her up all night. Her introspections were merciless. She couldn’t let it go. It was as if it was taunting her—you’ll never be any better than to write those puff pieces—never—you’ll never be a serious journalist. And when she finally fell asleep at two a.m., she was so tired she’d slept right through the alarm this morning.
After falling into her desk chair, she opened her left hand bottom drawer. She paused before placing her purse inside and instead pulled out a petite package. Her fingers trembled as she touched the shimmering red paper. With her fingertips, she slowly traced over the glossy, green ribbon which was curled up beautifully. She darted a glance over her cubical wall and around the newsroom. No one was looking her way.
Who sent this? Someone is playing me, I know it.
The package looked perfect sitting on her desktop, but her curiosity—which was more than piqued—wouldn’t allow her to wait any longer. She pulled open the paper gently. No need to bring attention to herself. Inside, she found a luscious piece of chocolate sitting in its paper cradle. Included was a printed note:
Dear Kathryn,
The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and continue through the New Year, but how much more fun would it be for you to get a gift everyday until Christmas! That’s sure to get you into the holiday spirit.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…one raspberry-filled chocolate truffle. Enjoy.
Until tomorrow.
Your Secret Santa
Kathryn took another guarded look around the room. She stood to gain an unimpeded view over the cubical wall while placing her gift and its wrapping onto her desk. No one seemed to be watching her so she sat back down and thought about popping the chocolate into her mouth.
“So, you do believe in Christmas,” said a voice out of nowhere.
Kathryn shot out of her seat once more with her package and contents spreading across the surface of her desk. Her heart pounded as she whipped her body around to face the speaker.
“Nick Pringle…you scared the living life out of me.” Her overworked heart caused her throat to pulse painfully. Quickly she grabbed the present—wrapping and all—and threw it back into the drawer.
“So, what was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? It looked like a present to me.”
“So, what if it was? I said I didn’t plan on buying any presents. That doesn’t mean that someone else might not want to give one to me.”
“Who was it from?” A curious smile appeared on his impeccable face with the bright florescent lights bringing out the highlights in his sandy-brown tinted hair.
“Does it really matter? It was just a trifle.”
“A trifle? It looked like a truffle to me.”
She glared at him. “Do you have a lead for the orphan story yet?”
“Not yet. I thought we should head down there today and check it out ourselves. You might even get that new angle.”
He handed her a paper cup from her favorite coffee shop. The creamy, chocolate-caramel flavor smelled delicious. Before taking her first sip, she breathed deeply of the enticing fragrance. Then she let the beverage slip down her throat and warm her body and soul. Giving Nick a look of gratitude, she thought about saying something nice. Instead she said, “Well come on, Pringle. We haven’t got all day.”
Kathryn’s mind took off again while she walked with Nick to the elevator. Who could have possibly left the present? It had to be someone who knew she wasn’t interested in Christmas, but everyone in the office knew that. Whoever it was had to know she loved chocolate, but just about everyone did. She glanced at Nick and his nicely combed, light brown hair. She couldn’t remember a time when he’d had a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his suit.
Could it be Nick? He knows me better than anyone. He met her blue eyes with his hazel ones and then smiled. No, Nick wouldn’t. He couldn’t pull it off if he tried. He’s just too transparent.





Cindy K. Green
Humor & Heart Wrapped Up Together

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Trailer: All I Want for Christmas by Cindy K. Green

Excerpt - The Heart Never Lies by Cindy K. Green

When ranch hand Beau Tucker announces his intent to leave the Double C for California, Kit McCauley tells herself, ‘Good riddance.’ Unfortunately her heart isn’t quite in agreement with her head. Perhaps she’ll just have one more talk with the handsome cowboy before he disappears out of her life forever.

Temperatures rise as their interlude is interrupted by an injured horse thief who shoots at Beau and kidnaps Kit. Will Beau be in time to save her or did the ruffian’s bullet ring true, bringing his young life to an end and forever keeping their revelations unsaid?

Excerpt:

Wyoming Territory, 1871

Kit McCauley swept a guarded glance over her shoulder and through the doorway of the darkened ranch house. The gentle stillness within confirmed the remaining inhabitants still slept. She faced forward with a bracing breath and proceeded onto the front porch while a knot tightened in the pit of her stomach. Foolish, just plain foolish! Out in the shadowy yard, appearing like an ethereal being, Beau Tucker mounted his blue roan gelding. He grabbed the crown of his black, wide-brimmed hat and crushed it on his head before locking intense hazel eyes on her. His chin rose ever so firm and perfect, like granite, his eyes almost as flinty.

Kit clutched the banister of the large wrap-a-round porch as her legs weakened from Beau’s powerful gaze. So this was the end. After working as a hand on the Double C Ranch for the past two years, he was just going to skedaddle off to California without so much as a proper goodbye.

Well, good riddance. She’d be much better off without him befuddling her mind and making her turn down perfectly good marriage proposals from other willing men. A lilac scented breeze blew past Kit’s face as she released the banister. She slid her hand over the smooth wood and walked toward the steps. The sight of Beau’s handsome face bathed in the first amber colors of daybreak stirred flutters in her chest, bringing her stroll to a halt.

He turned the horse to the side and touched the brim of his hat. “Miss,” he said, as though they were merely strangers. She gripped the baluster below the hand railing so tight her knuckles turned white. His words struck her like a slap in the face. This was not the farewell she’d envisioned. She’d imagined it including his lips pressed against hers one last time.

No, it was for the best. Firming her lips together, she forced the tears away. He may have stomped on her heart like an unbroken colt, but he’d never know how his smile warmed her heart, how his touch made her tingle, how she dreamed of his kisses every night. Not when his actions proved his absolute indifference. She squared her shoulders and tilted her chin. “Bye Beau. I hope you find what you’re lookin’ for out west.” She swished her skirts and turned toward the door of the ranch house. Time to end this nonsense. Ma would be up soon, and breakfast needed attending.

“Now listen, here, Katherine McCauley…”

She twirled back to face him and almost smiled. Of course, he wouldn’t allow her the last word. Beau brought his horse alongside the porch railing while she peered up at him and settled hands on her hips. “Yes, Beau, I’m listening.”
He sat taller in the saddle, the fabric of his homespun shirt pulling against the taut muscles of his chest. His mouth twisted to the side and his left eye squinted in a glare. Kit inhaled the strengthening, crisp morning air and straightened her stance. With hands fisted at her sides, she was ready for battle.

~ * ~

Beau held onto his glare as long as he could, but staring into those stunning brown eyes had always proved a test of his character. What he wanted to do was jump down and take her in his arms, but judging from her behavior the last couple weeks, she’d rebuff his attentions.

He tipped his hat back a notch and struggled to form a coherent thought. His sarcastic wit came to his rescue just in time. “I beg your pardon, Miss McCauley. I forget my place.” His gaze drifted toward the horizon, and he stared at the tree lined mountains. “I best be going as I’m hopin’ to reach Cheyenne by afternoon.”

“Well, I sure wouldn’t want to come between a man and his big dreams. Good morning to you, Mr. Tucker.”

He clenched the leather straps of the reins until his fingers dug into his palm. Steeling his features, he tried to control his mounting agitation even if her tone had riled him all over again. How was it that she managed to make him out to be the scoundrel even though she’d clearly expressed he was the last man she wanted to marry?

“Tarnation Kit! What do you want from me?”