Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | Christmas with the Sheriff (The Fiore Family #3) |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | C.M. Steele |
| Language: | English |
| ISBN/ ASIN: | B09HSZ86N6 |
| Book Information: | |
Mark: All I wanted was a damn bit of eggnog with my Christmas dinner. Is that so hard? My sister forced me to head out to get my own, but I found one last item I suddenly needed. The prettiest petite redhead with a nasty temper and holding onto the only eggnog in her tiny hands. Since she refuses to give it to me, I guess I’ll have to take them both. Mia: You have got to be kidding me! I’m looking at the world upside down as I’m carried out of a grocery store in the middle of nowhere by a handsome brute. I’d call the cops in this Podunk town, but apparently, I’ve been nabbed by the Sheriff. | |
| Books in Series: | The Fiore Family Series by C.M. Steele |
| Books by Author: | C.M. Steele |
Chapter One
Mia
“You have got to be shitting me.” My GPS recalibrates for the second time in twenty minutes, sending me in a completely different direction. The snow is making it hard to see the road in front of me, including the dividing lines.
Of all the days to get stuck in a snowstorm, it has to be Christmas Eve. It’s about an hour until sunset, and with the already slippery roads and the continuous white flakes adding to the chaos, it’s probably best that I stop at the first town I see.
I squint my eyes as the wiper blades work double time to smear the white mess out of my field of vision, but it’s doing little to no good while I search for any hint of large green metal through all this white. Finally with a sigh of relief, I spot something up ahead.
Snowfall, New York
1 Mile
How apropos!
I take the one-mile drive slower than I would prefer. I was planning to drive down to New York City to meet some friends and spend the holidays. It’s clearly out of the question this Christmas. Maybe I should have left a day or two earlier instead of changing my plans at the last minute. Instead of enjoying the holidays with those I love, I’m forced to be alone and I have no one to blame but myself. Why did I finally decide to be impulsive? I’m never impulsive.
I wish I’d stayed with my family, but they have their own new families and I feel out of place. Last year my two cousins met their perfect matches, falling madly in love with twin sisters. My brother, Soren, is still single; working hard on the family vineyard is his passion, and he isn’t interested in finding love.
I am.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to meet men these days, and the ones I have met are either married or not manly enough for me. I need a man like my cousins and brother. Having grown up around them, there’s just some shit I can’t tolerate. I want a man like I read about and watch on TV—powerful, loving, and strong. Although, none of that will matter if I don’t concentrate on the road ahead.
Taking the exit, I come to a long road that has me making a left and going down another barren strip of snow-covered road for another mile before finding a sign that points in two directions. Stone Hill Right, Snowfall Left.
The sign on the highway had been for Snowfall, so I make the left, hoping that it leads to somewhere with inhabitants. Finally down the road on the left-hand side I spot a gas station. Since my tank is still pretty full and honestly, I just want to get somewhere and park so I’m safe, I continue on into the town. It’s quite busy with people milling around despite the falling snow, but then again, living here, it must be common. I creep down the road and squint my eyes, looking for a hotel nearby. It’s not a large town, and it looks like I’ve hit their main street. One light blinks red because it’s not even a traffic light, but rather a stop sign.
I make a complete stop and then roll my eyes, and that’s when I spot the Snowfall Inn. It’s a large building with a rustic feel, and outside is a burly man bundled up in a plaid winter coat shoveling the snow. Smiling, I pull into their small lot, hoping they have a signal and can take a credit card. I’m just glad they’re open.
I throw my purse over my shoulder, slip on my winter hat, and step outside of my vehicle, locking it. A blast of icy cold swipes across my face, so I quickly zip my coat and wrap up in my scarf. Locking my car door, I walk toward the sidewalk. Looking around at the small storefronts with snow blanketing the edges of the windowsills, I say, “Holy shit, I’ve run straight into a Hallmark movie.”
“Well, we do have some good-looking men here,” a young woman says, stepping alongside of me. I’m glad that I don’t scare easily because that was a little too quiet for me, or maybe I was lost in my thoughts. She’s got to be about my age, a bit shorter than me if that’s possible and as adorable as hell with her chocolate curls and rosy cheeks. “Although that one is taken.” She points to the handsome man I noticed when I first arrived. He gives us a look over his shoulder as he hears her speaking about him, smiles, and then he walks into the inn. Wow, yep that man is a looker and a half.
“Yeah, well, I can see why. Do you know if there is availability at the inn?” I ask, pointing to where her man was standing.