Christmas in July! An excerpt from CHRISTMAS AT SOLACE LAKE - The Birthday Party

Happy Book Hooks Wednesday! This month I'm celebrating Christmas in July with excerpts from my holiday romance novel, CHRISTMAS AT SOLACE LAKE. Today's excerpt is The Birthday Party. When Celeste has to work a late shift at the lodge, Drew volunteers to pick up her nine-year-old daughter from a birthday party. Drew and Hope are developing a strong bond of friendship. Drew gets a surprise when he arrives:

Excerpt:

At exactly seven o’clock, Drew pulled up to the address in Minnewasta Celeste had given him. He knew he was at the right house when he saw a woman and a little girl walking away from the house. The girl was holding a sparkly pink gift bag and skipping alongside the woman while making excited gestures with her hands. Good luck, Mom. The child was likely hyped up on sugar and would be bouncing off the walls for a while.

Looked like Hope’s friend’s birthday party was a big success.

He walked to the front door and rang the bell. A large man wearing a white, faux-fur bunny suit, complete with enormous pink ears and giant feet, answered the door. Drew took a step back in surprise. “Ah…Hi. I’m here to pick up Hope?”

“And what’s your name?” The bunny used his bulk to block the door.

“It’s Drew. Drew Barnes.”

The wide smile on the bunny’s face made his fake whiskers twitch. “Good answer! Hope’s mom told us she was sending you to pick her up.”

“Right. Celeste and I both work at the lodge.”

A much smaller woman came to stand beside the bunny. She put her hand on his arm. “Jack, quit blocking the door and invite Drew inside. It’s cold out there!”

“Where are my manners? I’m Jack, Charlotte’s dad, and this is my wife Daisy. Please come in and I’ll call Hope.”

Jack stepped aside to let Drew enter, then opened a door and called down the stairs. “Hope! Your ride is here!”

A moment later, Drew heard footsteps clambering up the stairs. Six little girls, including Hope, emerged through the basement door on a wave of giggles.

“Drew!” Hope vibrated with excitement, and likely an overdose of sugar. “We had so much fun!”

He couldn’t help but grin at the exhilaration in her eyes. Seeing her so happy made him grateful he’d been able to convince Celeste to let him pick her up. “That’s great. You can tell me all about it on the way home.”

“Charlotte, help Hope find her jacket and make sure to give her a goody bag,” Daisy said.

“Hop to it, girls!” Jack said.

All six girls bunny-hopped away, their high-pitched giggles bouncing off the walls. Daisy turned to him with a smile. “They had a lot of fun. Probably too much cake and way too many candies from the piñata, but lots of fun.”

“Sounds like the party was a hit.”

“I hope so. A little girl only turns ten once. We wanted to make it memorable.”

Drew grinned at Jack. “I’m pretty sure they’re going to remember this party.”

“Hey, if a guy can’t make a fool of himself at his daughter’s tenth birthday party, when can he? The bunny suit isn’t going to fly when she’s fifteen.”

“Probably not,” Drew agreed with a laugh.

“Before Charlotte was born, if someone had told me I’d be wearing a giant bunny suit on her tenth birthday, I would have told them they were crazy. Turns out, you’ll do just about anything for your kid.”

Blurb:

Widow Celeste Bishop has made a comfortable life for herself and her nine-year-old daughter in the three years she's worked, and lived, at Solace Lake Lodge. But this Christmas, Celeste is unsettled by a series of thefts that has staff suspecting one another.

Then Drew Barnes arrives and totally upends her comfort, making her feel things she never thought she’d feel again.

An emergency brings Drew to Solace Lake Lodge. He’s sure that’s the only reason his uncle asked him to fill in as bookkeeper. No one in his family has believed in him since his mistake got him fired from his previous job.

As Drew gets to know Celeste, the pieces of his life tumble into place. He doesn’t care that she’s nine years older. But while he's falling in love, she's pulling away. She’s afraid to risk loving and losing again.

As Christmas approaches, the thefts increase. Drew is determined to stop the thief and redeem himself in his family’s eyes—and his own. But can he convince Celeste they deserve the gift of a happily-ever-after this Christmas?

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